The Girl At The Coffee Shop
by BDewitt
Summary: A College AU Joniss Prompt: Johanna works at a coffee shop near where she and Katniss go to school. They meet and Katniss vows to try every beverage they have in an effort to see Johanna more. Johanna begins making up drinks when she finally tries the whole menu. Finally her boss has to convince Johanna to man up and ask Katniss out. R&R!
1. The Chocolaty Drink

Author's Note: Okay so I found this prompt on tumblr when I found the soul mate AU prompt. The credit goes to beneath-the-rubble. This will probably, hopefully, be a shorter story because I cannot physically write much more, haha.

* * *

Autumn was her favorite season. Katniss reveled in all things fall: foliage, pumpkin flavored beverages, hot drinks, thick scarves, thigh high boots over jeans, brisk winds that ruffled the orange and red covered ground. Even now, six weeks into her first semester at college, she gleefully enjoyed the smell of autumn as it happened around her. She kicked the fallen leaves with the tip of her boot as she strolled down the urban sidewalk near her dorm. Today she was supposed to meet her Physics partner and best friend Gale Hawthorne at a local coffee shop a few blocks from their dorm. Her roommate Madge had raved about the coffee and frequented their open mic nights on Saturdays. Madge raved about nearly everything but she did always have one of their environmentally conscious green cups on her desk in their room.

Katniss pushed the door open and heard the quaint chime of the bell above her head. She unwrapped her scarf from around her neck and tucked it into her messenger bag. The walls were painted a light orange, vintage movie and music posters adhered askew on the walls, giving the place a sense of hipster whimsy. Soft, soulful jazz blared unobtrusively from speakers set within the exposed vaulted ceilings.

The plentiful power outlets and tables meant a lot of Katniss's peers from Panem University were strewn about the place. They sat at tables along the walls and congregated in the corners with coffees, laptops, bean bag chairs and textbooks. Single studiers curled into overstuffed plush magenta armchairs in dimly lit corners. Katniss wondered how they got any studying done in the din of the room; she preferred the quiet, musty solitude of the library. Hidden within a few bookshelves, muted from the world by the volumes of ink and paper around her.

She spotted Gale in a far corner table, hovered over his book. She smiled as she approached, shrugging her suede jacket down from her shoulders. Gale sipped a hot beverage and looked up at her. "What's up Catnip?"

She slung her jacket around the wooden chair and frowned. "Sorry I'm late. Madge talked my ear off about her Aunt Maysilee coming to visit next week." Katniss rolled her gray eyes and set her things down next to their table. "I'm just going to grab something to drink. What did you get?"

"Tea," Gale answered simply, garnering a look of skepticism from his friend. "Don't judge me it's cold outside. And you know I don't like espresso." He gave her a grimace for good measure. Katniss rolled her eyes as she grabbed her wallet from her bag and went toward the counter.

As she waited behind three coeds she perused the menu. There was the typical coffee shop fare of lattes and espresso, plain brews and herbal teas. A small chalkboard menu had a few specials written in a flowery green chalk handwriting. They each had kitschy coffee pun names and Katniss smiled at a few of them. If she had to venture out of her literary hiding hole, an independent coffee shop wasn't a bad second place. She approached the counter, having made up her mind to just get a regular coffee.

She opened her mouth to order and was stopped as she saw the barista smiling politely at her. Black hair with red streaks pulled back into a messy ponytail tied with a blood red bandana and two pens sticking out like a geisha's hair sticks, deep amber brown eyes, a permanent smirk on ruddy brown lips, a tight forest green t shirt with a black apron emblazoned with the "HeavensBeans" logo wrapped tightly around her slim hips. She had cut the shirt straight down the collar to expose her cleavage, which Katniss was trying to avoid staring at.

The girl leaned in and cocked a darkened, manicured eyebrow. Abruptly the place felt too loud, too bright, too warm to Katniss. "You blinked, I won." _God, her voice_. Katniss was certain she had never heard anything so feminine and yet, so deeply rough. Katniss shook her head and met the girl's playful eyes. "Did you want something, gorgeous?"

If Katniss had thought of something she wanted to drink it was wiped clean from her memory by the girl drawling that compliment out of her lips. "I uh..."

"Need some help?" she asked. Katniss nodded wordlessly. She did not trust her voice. "Do you like chocolate?"

"Yes." She had reason not to trust her voice. Her answer came out strangled like a yelping dog.

"Do you like it hot?" The girl seemed to purposefully draw out her words, making the question sound impossibly risqué. Katniss coughed and watched the other girl's eyes twinkle with humor. "The _coffee_, brainless. Hot?"

"Y-yes." Katniss could feel the heat of her cheeks burning her face. Was the stupid heat in here on like 1000 degrees?

The dark-haired girl scribbled something on a tall paper cup, handing it over to a handsome blond man who took it and flipped it, catching it behind his back. "What's the name on this?" he asked, withdrawing a pen from his back pocket.

Katniss placed her palms ln the counter and moved up on her toes. "Katniss." She had directed it toward the boy, but her eyes never left the magnetizing gaze of the girl behind the register.

The girl smiled at her and began tapping her fingers against the small computer monitor in front of her. "That'll be $3.56." Katniss began rummaging in her wallet and the girl spoke again. "Are you a student?" Katniss nodded, not trusting her voice again. "Okay," she said, punching a few more buttons, "then you get the discount. Lucky you. That'll be three dollars even."

Katniss produced three somewhat presentable bills from her wallet and handed them to the girl. "Sorry, I sort of cram everything in here." Almost as proof of her disorganization a small Chapstick and a brightly colored fake sugar packet fell on the counter. The girl smirked and took the money, leaving the paraphernalia. Katniss shoved it back into her wallet, blushing even deeper than before.

"It's okay _Katniss_," she replied, tucking the money away in the register. She hissed the "s" in Katniss's name and made her shudder. She closed the drawer with a shove and maintained a high eyebrow as Katniss stood there. "You can pick your drink up down there." She jabbed a finger to Katniss's right where a boy was waiting for his drink as well.

"Oh. Thank you." Katniss moved away from the counter, thoroughly embarrassed and clutching her wallet. Her fingernails tapped against the wooden counter as she awaited her drink. After a minute of dodging glances from the girl at the counter, her name was called and the attractive boy behind the espresso machine slid her drink toward her. The name tag affixed to his apron strap read "Finnick" in a blue print. _A name tag!_ Katniss hadn't even remembered to look at the girl's. "Thanks," she mumbled, cradling the drink and walking back to Gale.

The beverage was rich and chocolaty with just the slightest bitter tang of espresso. She'd have to tell the girl she enjoyed it. Yes, that would be a perfectly legitimate reason to go back and talk to her again. Maybe this time, talk like a normal person and not a bumbling idiot. With a sigh she turned to Gale and they began to work in their notebooks on their current Physics project. In spite of the fairly steady stream of customers she managed to keep her eye on the girl at the counter. At some point within the hour she and the boy had switched positions and she was now crafting the drinks. Every so often her gaze would look out into the dining area and they would catch eyes. Katniss's heart would pound in her chest and she hurriedly looked back to her textbook.

"Katniss!" Gale said loudly, causing Katniss to whip her head in his direction, annoyed. He smiled at her, unaffected by her impatience. He was used to it by now. "I said your name like four times. What are you staring at?" His own pale grey eyes followed hers until he saw the barista behind the counter. "Johanna?"

"Johanna?" Katniss repeated in a faraway tone. _Johanna_.

Gale shook his head and put his hand on Katniss's chin, pulling her attention back to him. "She's the barista here. I've seen her a couple times around campus. I think she's a junior." Katniss was a freshman and Gale a junior. She was suddenly stung with jealousy that Gale knew her. Maybe they had classes together. He had probably seen her in the morning, hair disheveled from sleep in an oversized sweatshirt, napping through an early morning class. Maybe their paths had crossed at some upper-classmen party or a frat mixer. He would have seen her swaying her hips to some Top 40 music, tilting her head back in laughter. "She lives in the District Seven dorms."

The Panem University dorms were each named after districts, numbered one through twelve. There used to be thirteen but budget cuts had turned that dorm into a science wing a few years prior to Katniss's enrollment. She and Gale lived in District 12 on the fringes of campus. 7 was just a few blocks from the main library, nicknamed the Capitol because of the domed ceiling that mimicked the Capitol Building in Washington DC. Those dorms were nice, edged in a thicket of redwoods that muffled the campus from the neighboring towns.

"Earth to Katniss?" She hadn't realized she was still staring until Gale spoke again. She flushed a deep beet red and shifted in her seat so she could no longer see the attractive girl behind the machines. He hefted a sigh and closed their textbook, sliding it into his backpack. "Okay you are not going to be able to pay attention here. Now when you've been eye-fucking Johanna all night." His abrasive tone softened as he looked at his friend. "Just go talk to her."

Katniss sputtered out a loud scoff, gathering the attention of a few people around them. She lowered her voice and glared at Gale. "Yeah that'll be great. 'Hi, we just met and I can't stop staring at you. Wanna go out sometime?'" Her head tilted to the side in disbelief. "No, that's fine. Besides I think we did enough for a Friday night."

Gale shrugged and stood up, tossing his denim jacket around his shoulders and gathering up his backpack. He slung the brown sack over his shoulder and looked down at his friend. "Whatever you say, Catnip. But the staring goes both ways." He looked over her shoulder and she turned her head to follow his eyes. The girl was wiping down the counter where they placed drinks, openly ogling at her. She smirked at the attention and tossed the rag over her shoulder, walking away and back toward the boy she worked with.

Gale said his goodbyes and walked out of the store, leaving Katniss alone at the table. She put her jacket and scarf back on, preparing herself for the bitter cold that awaited her outside. Night had fallen now which meant the temperatures would be at least ten degrees below what they had been when she entered. Her hands wrapped around the still warm cup of coffee and she stared at the lid. Did she dare go back up and compliment it? No, that sounded stupid. She didn't want to look desperate, even if she felt desperate.

She'd play it cool. Maybe Johanna would think she was some carefree passerby that she would want to see again. Yeah, that sounded right. She'd be the girl who totally was not thinking about her at all. Boosted by this thought she strutted out of the coffee shop and didn't even throw a glance toward the drink area. With a belly full of chocolate espresso and a mind full of a chocolate-haired girl she nearly skipped back to campus. She had really nailed that exit. Totally _not_ looking in the reflection of the glass to see if Johanna had watched her leave.

* * *

Madge was sitting at her desk when Katniss got back to her dorm, typing away at her computer. Katniss hung up her jacket on the coatrack along with her scarf, tossing her bookbag at the foot of her bed. She flopped down on the twin bed and let one of her legs dangle off the side of the bed, scraping the floor. The 12 dorms were not as nice as the dorms in 1 or 2; the walls and floors were mostly cement, unpainted and slightly cold. Usually it was a dorm just for freshmen but a few of the upperclassmen like Gale were stuck in those dorms as well.

Getting assigned a dorm was supposed to work like a lottery but it didn't take Katniss long to notice that the kids who didn't come on full ride scholarships, the kids whose parents made large donations to the university, _those_ kids got the nice dorms. Katniss didn't mind though; it helped her make friends with more students who grew up in lower-middle class homes like herself.

"Hey Madge?" Katniss called from her bed, turning on to her side and propping her head up on her elbow.

Madge unplugged one earbud from her ear and turned around, smiling at Katniss. Her long blonde hair was plaited into two braids, looking somewhat like Katniss's little sister, Prim. Except in place of pale blue eyes like her mother, she had deep hazel eyes that looked like the forests from back home. Their friendship dated back to their finger-painting days, along with Gale and their other friend Peeta Mellark. Being from a small town meant that most of the kids went to the same university, especially one in the same state. The tuition was cheaper and the acceptance rate was high. All of them got accepted into Panem University and lived in the neglected 12 dorms.

"Do you know the people that work at the coffee place?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as even and unassuming as humanly possible.

Madge turned around in her chair, folding her elbow over the top and resting her small chin on her forearm. "Um yeah, I'm probably their most frequent customer." Her eyes lit up and Katniss looked alarmed. "Did you like it?"

"Yeah, sure," she replied noncommittally. "The latte I had was good."

"Who made it?"

"A blond guy. Finnick?"

Madge nodded enthusiastically. "Finnick is really good. Kind of a preening peacock, you know? Flipping cups, flirting with girls. But he's actually really nice. Sometimes I stay there late, you know, studying and everything, and this cute little girl with red hair comes in toward when they close. She seems a little off? She goes to school here, I don't know what she studies. Kind of quiet. But they have some kind of connection. He's always really sweet to her, sitting at her table until his boss yells at him. It's like a switch is turned and he goes from weird creep to sweet caring guy. It's super cute to watch."

Katniss didn't really care about this guy and his weird girlfriend. She was waiting for Madge to get around to Johanna, but she didn't want to show her cards just yet. "That's sweet."

"Totally sweet. Okay, so the owner's name is Plutarch. He's a nice guy, kind of older. You don't really see him much, he's kind of the behind-the-scenes guy. The manager's name is Cressida. She's really cool; she's got half her head shaved with these vine tattoos. All the guys want to bang her. There's usually only two other baristas. A girl named Emerson and another girl named Johanna." Katniss hoped that her ears didn't prick up like a cat when Madge said Johanna's name. She remembered Buttercup back home, his furry orange ears standing straight up if you said "food" or "Primrose." She hated that cat. She did not want to look like that cat.

She cleared her throat. "I think I saw ...what did you say her name was? Johanna?" Madge nodded. "Is she nice?"

Madge chuckled and shook her head. "No, she's kind of bitchy to everyone." Katniss tried not to look offended and stared over at her friend. Madge yawned and shrugged her shoulders. "She's an environmental science major I think? Something like that. Anyway she's a little bossy. And a lesbian. Not that it makes her a bad person," Madge quickly corrected with a shake of her head. "Just an observation."

A small thrill shot down Katniss's spine. Johanna was a lesbian. She liked girls. Maybe she liked girls like Katniss. "Oh, she seemed pretty cool to me."

In spite of the natural voice she used Madge's mouth spread in a sly grin. "Did she flirt with you? She flirts with all the girls she thinks are pretty." Katniss's treacherous cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she pulled her pillow over her face. Madge nearly knocked over her chair in excitement. "_Ohmygoodnessyoulikeher!_" Her words spilled out as fast as a faucet. "Did she say anything to you? Did you give her your number? Did _she_ give you _her_ number? Email?"

Katniss groaned and put the pillow on her scalp and pulled it toward her ears. "She didn't really say anything. I sort of bumbled through all our talking. I may or may not have stared at her." She peeked out through closed eyes. "I fucked it up. I was so nervous. There was sweat."

"Katniss. That's. Adorable." Madge squealed in happiness and clapped her hands. She yanked her other ear bud out and straddled the chair backward. "This is like a romantic comedy waiting to happen. Okay so what's the plan? We going tomorrow? I can introduce you guys because I know her because I go there like every day and then we can -"

"Whoa," Katniss interrupted, sitting up in the bed. Madge had a tendency to ramble on, her words coming out in a staccato flow that sounded like the constant clacking of a typewriter. "There is no plan. If she wants to see me again, she can ask around for me. I'm not gonna chase her." Katniss hoped she sounded confident in that plan. Yeah, she can ask for me! She knows my name now. It's not as if there's another Katniss enrolled at Panem.

"Ohhh, okay," Madge agreed, nodding her head. She began undoing the plaits in her hair, running her fingers through the loosening strands. "Playin' it low key. I see how it is, Everdeen." Katniss chuckled and laid back against her mattress, staring up at their cement ceiling. In truth, her plan was not to play it cool. Johanna had weaseled her way underneath Katniss's skin with just a few words and those brilliant brown eyes. There was no playing cool with her. She made her run too hot.

Environmental Science major. Barista. Junior. Lesbian. Flirt. Katniss began piecing those bits of information together to try and form a fully fleshed out version of this girl she saw. Whatever she came up with would not do her justice. She wanted to talk to her. Without any similar classes and two grades in between each other, Katniss knew what she had to do.

She had to go back and get more coffee. She had to see the girl at the coffee shop again.


	2. The Iced Coffee

_Maybe she wasn't working today._

_Maybe she got fired._

_Maybe she switched schools mid-semester._

_Maybe she fell off the planet._

Katniss's brain filed through all those possibilities as she sat in the back of the coffee shop, sipping on the water bottle she had brought from her dorm. Luckily none of the other workers had seen her sitting there for the past hour, sipping on a beverage she didn't purchase there, staring at the front door. She had sprawled books on her table in an effort to look like she was studying. Should Johanna walk in, she would bury her nose in her - she hazarded a glance toward the text - _Classical Literature textbook_ and then slowly make her way to the counter.

She had rehearsed in her head 1000 times the conversation she wanted to have. A friendly hello, a flirty "Remember me?" type of thing, a request for her opinion on a beverage, drink said beverage, and hope that Johanna would come around to refill sugar packets or something and maybe ask her out.

Yes, Katniss decided, that was the master plan. Foolproof, really. If Johanna ever showed up to work.

With a backpack slung over both her shoulders Johanna finally breezed in, getting caught by a customer even before she got to the main part of the store. Johanna flashed a friendly - but Katniss could read _annoyed_ - smile and spoke with the older gentleman who had caught her attention. Before long she was moving into the store, greeting the woman behind the counter. She was blonde with sparkling blue eyes and a pert nose, as well as being remarkably fit. Most striking about her was that half her head was shaved and all along the shaved part were intricate vines that curled around her scalp and below her ear. Several piercings adorned the ear that was exposed to the world. She wasn't wearing an apron like the others so Katniss assumed that was the manager.

"What up Cress?" Johanna reached over the coffee machine and slapped her manager a high-five, going toward the side of the counter. She went through the waist-high swing doors and had her back turned to Katniss. Katniss observed several patches and buttons on her backpack - the band Paramore, a worn Obama/Biden 2012 presidential campaign pin, a recycling symbol, four rectangles all together with the words "Black Flag" written above and below them, and a huge rainbow patch that extended almost the entire way across the front zipper. Her hair was down, for the moment, reaching just above her shoulders in a choppy cut.

She was wearing a flannel shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Underneath was a faded gray t-shirt with the Sex Pistols' logo in very light print across her chest. So she was kind of punk. Katniss figured she should've guessed by the red streaks but she hadn't really thought about it. She also noticed something she hadn't seen yesterday - the thick black mark of a tattoo across her wrist. From the distance she couldn't tell what it was, but she wanted to. She imagined grasping Johanna's hand as she handed her change, running her thumb across the tattoo. She'd ask her what it was, when she got it, what it meant, keeping her thumb against the girl's pulse. She'd be listening, but also checking to see if the pulse was quickened by the touch or not.

For all that to happen, Katniss would have to leave her damn seat. She waited for Johanna to change into the HeavensBeans shirt and emerge into the room with her apron again. Her hair was thrown up in a quick ponytail, little pieces sticking out from the hair scrunchy. Katniss decided to wait a few more minutes. She didn't want to run up to the counter and make it obvious that she had been waiting for her for two hours.

After about ten minutes of watching Johanna talk to her manager in between customers, Katniss drummed up the courage to approach her. Johanna had her back to the register, gesticulating wildly as she retold a story to her boss. The woman looked over Johanna's shoulder and spun her around. "Customers, Johanna!"

"_A _customer," Johanna corrected, before evidently realizing who it was. Her brown eyes widened and then narrowed as she smiled. "Oh hi." Her voice sounded unnaturally high. "Katniss, yeah?" It lowered again.

Katniss nodded her head. She noticed a tiny freckle about an inch or so away from the corner of Johanna's mouth that nearly disappeared as she smirked. Katniss determined she'd like to kiss that freckle. "And you're Johanna." Good one, Katniss. _And you're Johanna_. Fucking smooth. Katniss continued to berate herself as Johanna chuckled and nodded her head. Her hand reached for the stack of cups, black marker in hand.

"What can I do for you, Katniss?" Brown eyes sparkled as she leaned on the counter on her elbows, marker poised above her empty hand.

The way she was saying her name. Katniss felt like she had just walked into a sauna with all her clothes on. What _did_ she want? Her eyes darted up to the menu board, and she decided on the first thing all the way on the left. "Iced coffee, please. A-a large."

Johanna grabbed a clear plastic cup and scribbled something on the side. "Any sweeteners? We have, well, just about any flavor you want. What's your pleasure?"

_You, anywhere you want, any time. _Katniss gripped the counter, unnerved at the girl's voice. The way she said everything, practically dripping with innuendo, was making her lightheaded. So much for her suave conversation starters. All she had done thus far was order a plain iced coffee and stutter. "Maybe cinnamon?"

Johanna pursed her lips and nodding, marking the drink appropriately and setting it on the counter next to her. Cressida grabbed the cup, presumably to make it, and read the scribbles Johanna had written. With a peculiar look she set the cup down and wiped her hands on her apron. "I'm gonna go ahead and refill the sugar packets out there. Can you handle this one?"

Johanna smiled and nodded politely at the blonde, who grabbed a box from underneath the machines and made her way out into the dining room. "Okay Katniss, that's $2.45 with your discount."

"The student discount?" _Why did I ask that? _Katniss regretted even setting foot in the coffee shop. She was no good at flirting. No matter how many times Madge said that things would go well, she knew they wouldn't. Talking to people was never her strong suit. Talking to such attractive people was even worse.

Johanna grinned and took Katniss's bills from her hand, making her change. As she handed it back she leaned in conspiratorially. "Well I'd give you the Gorgeous Eyes discount but they haven't made that button available yet." She gave Katniss a wink and grabbed the cup from the counter, whirling around on her heel. Katniss slid the change into the tip jar and moved around to the wooden bar where the drinks were presented.

She watched Johanna lean over and dig out some ice, trying her best not to stare at the tiny sliver of pale skin that emerged between the hem of her shirt and the top of her jeans. When did she turn into such an objectifying horn-dog? She quickly shook her head and stared at the wood grain, following the black lines with her eyes. Johanna filled the cup with coffee, stopping about two-thirds of the way from the top. "Did you want milk?"

Katniss's eyes went to the drink station where Cressida was leisurely filling the sugar packets. There were tiny silver bullets on there as well, Katniss assumed those were filled with milk. "Don't I like... do myself?" Her cheeks flushed deep red within seconds at the verbal slip up. _Do myself_. Great. More like hang myself.

Johanna bit the side of her cheek. "You can _do yourself_ if you want. Or I can do you." Katniss wished she had the power to change states of matter and slowly melt into a liquid form, escaping through the tiny holes in the floor beneath her. Johanna seemed to take pity on her and crouched down. "What kind of milk do you drink?"

Katniss cleared her throat. "Whole milk is fine, thanks." She heard the opening and closing of a small refrigerator, though she couldn't quite see over the bar.

Johanna appeared at the counter with a red container in hand, placing the cup of coffee in front of Katniss. "Okay, tell me when you want me to stop." Johanna slowly poured the milk in, and Katniss found herself watching Johanna instead of the coffee. Their eyes stayed locked as the liquid poured out, and when Johanna's eyebrow raised Katniss suddenly realized she was nearing the top of the cup.

"Stop." Johanna smiled and closed the milk container, shoving it back into the fridge. She capped Katniss's drink and swirled it around, making sure to get the syrup, coffee and milk thoroughly mixed. She set the cup on the bar, the liquid still churning around. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Katniss compressed her lips and nodded her head. Johanna's eyes moved down toward her shirt, so Katniss followed her gaze. She was wearing the mockingjay pin Madge's Aunt Maysilee had sent her. She was friends with Katniss's mother, who must've mentioned at some point how much Katniss loved mockingjays. "Is that a mockingjay?"

"Yeah. They're my favorite animal."

Johanna smirked and raised her eyebrow. "Really? They're nearly extinct, you know. A lot of people kept catching them and putting them in their homes for entertainment and didn't breed them or keep them properly. I actually own a few. Well, my parents do. Back home we have a lot of land that's a few acres with thick forests on it. My parents raise mockingjays there. I always loved to hear them sing." She looked away wistfully, then back to Katniss. "You know, your eyes are the same colors as their feathers. That wispy blue and gray."

Katniss smiled. "My dad used to say the same thing. I think that's what he would've named me had he not weirdly decided on Katniss."

Johanna chuckled. "I'm named after my grandmother, if that makes you feel better. I'd rather be a root than someone's grandma." Katniss laughed, lifting the drink from the bar and holding it between her hands.

"Thanks again. For the..for the coffee."

"You're welcome." Katniss turned on her heel and began walking away. "Oh, and Mockingjay?" Katniss looked over her shoulder at Johanna, who was grinning wickedly. "The sugar you can _do yourself_."

* * *

After the disaster that was her first flirting attempt with Johanna, Katniss immediately had gathered her things and left the shop. She didn't want to further embarrass herself by dropping coffee everywhere or drooling on the floor, or something equally as probable and horrifying. She sat alone in her dorm; Madge was out with some of her friends. Back home they didn't technically run in the same social circles; Madge and Peeta were from a nicer part of town. However, Madge was pleasant enough and hated the other rich girls so they had become friends. Katniss also knew Madge had a crush on Gale, as hard as she tried to deny it. But all the girls back home had crushes on Gale. Katniss often found herself running interference for the attractive boy.

Madge burst in the door, letting in the sound of music and loud co-eds from the hallway. Katniss was sitting at her desk, miserably watching Netflix on her laptop. Immediately her friend came up behind her. "You went back!"

Katniss eyed the empty plastic cup on her desk, along with the small ring of condensation that had pooled beneath it. "Yeah."

"And?" Madge sat on the edge of Katniss's bed, bright eyes fixed on her. She grabbed the cup and began inspecting it. "Iced coffee. Boring, but a good choice. Ooh - and cinnamon."

Katniss paused her movie and sighed. She really didn't want to rehash the entire afternoon's embarrassment. It was playing enough in her mind's eye. "It went _okay_."

Madge raised a pale eyebrow in suspicion. "What does CB mean?" she asked, lifting the cup to show Katniss. There was a small CB written in Johanna's handwriting with a line crossed through it. Katniss hadn't noticed it. She had been too busy humiliating herself.

"You're the expert."

Madge shrugged. "I've never seen that. Hm. Anyway, what did she say? What did you say?"

Katniss put her arms on the desk, resting her forehead on her forearm. She could smell the combination of eraser dust and pine cleaner from her desk. "I used the phrase 'do myself.'"

Madge didn't even have the courtesy to look surprised. As Katniss eyed her from the corner of her eye she looked only perplexed. "In what context?"

"I asked if I had to do myself. In reference to milk. You know what? I don't want to talk about it." Madge set the cup next to Katniss, who took it and tossed it in the trash. Madge frowned.

"Those are recyclable."

Katniss rolled her eyes and retrieved the cup from the trash. She placed it with a sarcastic amount of effort into the blue recycling bin in the corner of their room. "I can never show my face there again."

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad." She scooted back on Katniss's bed, placing her back against the wall. Her long legs dangled over the side, smacking against the metal of Katniss's cot. "How about we go together this weekend? I can be your wingman."

Katniss chuckled and pulled up her legs, sitting indian style on the rolling desk chair. She held on to her calves and looked down toward the floor and its thin, gray carpet. "Wingman insinuates you will be picking someone else up."

"Oh." Madge scrunched her nose. "Okay, I'll be your hype girl. Like those people who stand behind rappers and point at them? I'll be that, but, verbally. Like 'Oh, Katniss is the coolest.' 'She doesn't have any diseases.' 'You guys should go out.'"

Katniss pouted and looked over at her friend. "I don't have any diseases? That's my good quality?" She reached over and pinched Madge's knee. "You're a terrible hype girl. I formally request another."

Madge pretended to flip through an imaginary notebook. "Oh I'm so sorry Miss Everdeen, it looks like we're all booked up." She clapped her hands and slid off Katniss's bed. "We'll go this weekend. Johanna hosts the open mic nights. It'll be fun." Her eyes suddenly lit up and Katniss was afraid. An excited Madge was always a force to be reckoned with. "We'll have to pick out your outfit. Something that says, I'm available, but I want you to approach me because I'm acting aloof as a cover for how thoroughly socially inept I am."

"Can I also place a request for a new best friend?"

"Nope, sorry, booked," Madge replied flippantly, opening the door to their small, shared closet. Katniss leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she had backup. Couldn't possibly make that much of a fool of herself if Madge was there. Right?

* * *

As Katniss appraised herself in the mirror before leaving for the shop she had to admit Madge was right. She had made her put on a pair of navy skinny jeans that tucked into her ankle boots. She wore a thigh-length sweater that was so tight it barely left any room between she and the fabric. She pulled on her beige scarf, the same one she wore every day with every outfit, and followed Madge to the open mic night.

The air felt like it had dropped about ten degrees since Katniss's last class at five that afternoon. She shivered as they hurried to the shop. The show started at eight and now, at about half past, they were running late. Madge had insisted on doing Katniss's hair in an intricate ponytail that took her around three billion tries to get right. But when she was done, Katniss relented that it did make her cheekbones "pop."

She also had pinned her mockingjay pin on her sweater.

The lights were completely off inside the shop when they arrived, save for a few soft lamps above the audience and one spotlight above the sage. People were chatting amongst themselves at the tables and chairs that had been moved around to face a small stage set up in the corner of the room. Katniss didn't see Johanna, so they went to the long table near the corner where there were two large vats of coffee and a bunch of cups to serve yourself. They each fixed a coffee and made their way to an empty table near the back right side of the room.

Johanna suddenly appeared under the lights and Katniss found herself transfixed. Johanna was wearing a pair of jeans with the bottom cuffs rolled up, a plunging v-neck sweater with a cropped crimson biker jacket over it. She looked like she might kill you, but you'd let her. Her eyes were painted darker than usual, nearly black under the shadow the lights gave.

"Okay next up we have..." She withdrew a folded piece of paper from her pocket. "Dalton. Who is going to delight us with some slam poetry." Everyone politely clapped as a boy nervously got on stage. Johanna handed him a stool to sit on and patted his back, giving him a smile. Her eyes scanned the audience and Katniss's breath hitched when she thought they'd make eye contact. Johanna's expression didn't change so Katniss frowned. She hadn't seen her.

Katniss's eyes dropped to her coffee as she swirled the red tiny straw inside. Johanna was clearly going to be too busy to talk to her tonight anyway. Besides, Katniss had proven herself inept at holding a conversation. The night dragged on with only a few bright spots of talent in the show. Johanna seemed to have a natural gift for the hosting, cracking jokes in between acts, encouraging applause when people really bombed, withholding judgement when people did something useless like stand there and not blink and call it "art."

Madge's phone vibrated and she frowned. "Sorry, I'll be right back." She grabbed her wallet and went outside with her phone. Katniss drained the rest of her coffee, giving her watch a quick glance. 10:14pm. In the hour and 45 minutes they'd been there Johanna hadn't come near her. She watched her leave the stage and sit stage right with the older man that Madge had identified as Plutarch, the owner.

Katniss began shoving her straw through the side of the cup, ignoring the sound of someone sitting in the seat next to her. She guessed Madge's phone call hadn't been that important. Tongue in her cheek she began twisting the straw to try and make a hole in the cup. "Enjoying the show, Katniss?"

She nearly dropped everything as she looked over, seeing the grinning Johanna in place of her friend. Katniss's eyes flicked to the stage where someone was reading a series of haikus, then back to Johanna. "Parts of it," she admitted with a smile.

Johanna nodded, leaning on the table with her eyes set on the stage. "Plutarch won't let me audition people first. He said he likes to watch everyone, even the big time losers." Katniss chuckled and looked over at Johanna, who was watching her now. Her eyes dropped to the table briefly before she looked up. "Haven't seen you here in a while." Dare Katniss think she heard a trace of disappointment in her tone?

Katniss smiled apologetically. "Sorry. You know how it is, mid-terms and everything."

Johanna shook her head in affirmation. "Right, right. I hear you." She ran her tongue along her teeth and nodded toward the stage. "So, you have any talents, Katniss?"

Madge suddenly plopped down the seat next to Katniss, looking across her to Johanna. She smiled. "Hi Johanna!"

Johanna looked very confused, eyes shifting between the two of them. "Hi..."

"Madge," the blonde girl filled in. She looked insulted. "I come here all the time," she said flatly.

Johanna's eyes flicked between them and she must have sensed Katniss's unease because she smiled politely. "Sorry. I see so many people come in and out. I don't often remember names. I'm good with faces."

Madge was miffed. "You remembered Katniss's name."

Katniss shot her a look that she hoped spelled "I will kill you later" and shifted in her chair. Johanna grinned. "I did, didn't I? Must be something memorable about it." Katniss's cheeks flushed and she was very grateful for the dim lighting. "I was just asking your friend here if she had any talents."

"Katniss? Oh sure, Katniss can sing," Madge revealed with an excited flourish. Katniss decided that Madge was not going to live through the night. What a shame.

Katniss pressed her fingers to her forehead. "I can't. Not..not in public. Not anywhere, really. Maybe the shower."

Johanna smirked. "The mockingjay can sing? No surprise there, I guess. And, since I'm not going to be in the shower with you - as far as I know - then I'd like to hear it."

Katniss ducked her gaze and fiddled with her scarf in her lap. Surely Johanna could feel the heat from her body. "Maybe, um, maybe some other time."

Brown eyes went to the stage where the boy was finishing up his haikus that had devolved into limericks. "I'm gonna hold you to that, Mockingjay." Johanna's hand reached out, lighting turning the pin in her fingers. It seemed to be ablaze in the lamp lights of the room. "See you around?" Katniss nodded in affirmation and Johanna smiled, dropping the pin from her grasp.

Madge waited until Johanna was safely back on stage to playfully slap Katniss's thighs over and over again with enthusiasm. Katniss tried to hide her own excitement by looking at the stage. As she watched Johanna introduce the next act - a girl who could play the violin - her heart skipped as this time they definitely made eye contact. She smiled and she saw Johanna smile back.

Okay, so maybe she _could_ show her face again.

* * *

Author's Note: This is so fucking fun to write. I mean, raise your hand for fluffy Joniss, amirite?! Thanks for the reviews and the follows. Keep it coming!


	3. The Pumpkin Spice Latte

Katniss tapped her pencil against her notebook impatiently. It was Tuesday. The last Tuesday before classes were suspended for Thanksgiving break. If Katniss had remembered correctly, this was Johanna's last shift before she went home. Katniss had memorized Johanna's schedule over the last few weeks of trying their drinks; a feat she did without ever having too ask. Because _that _would've been more revealing than showing up almost every day. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Friday nights, the Saturday night open mic night, and sometimes Sunday mornings. ("If I'm not wasted" she had explained.)

Her class was running longer than usual as the professor felt it appropriate to add extra work to their holiday weekend. She knew she had only around thirty minutes before Johanna would be gone for the day and she wouldn't see her for another week. She had visited Johanna every day she worked, imbibing more caffeine and sugary drinks than one should drink in a lifetime. But each time she went she learned a little bit more about her so she dealt with the lack of sleep due to over-caffeination. When she walked in the shop and their eyes met, it made Johanna smile and that alone was worth any night of no sleep.

Finally the professor dismissed them and Katniss almost fell over her desk in an effort to get out of the classroom as quickly as possible. She struggled with her jacket and scarf mightily before tossing her messenger bag angrily on the ground in the crowded hallway. Quickly she shoved her jacket on and wrapped her scarf around her neck, grabbing her bag. Katniss grumbled curse words at herself as she ran down the staircase and into the chilly November wind.

She was glad to have worn her hunting boots because she could run in them. A quick glance at her watch confirmed her worst fear: she had ten minutes. Certainly not enough time to talk to Johanna. At least she'd get to see her before she left. An image to keep in her mind when she was home staring at her plate during Thanksgiving dinner. She sprinted down the sidewalks of the small college town, bypassing other students leisurely getting their things together before break. Not everyone had to leave during Thanksgiving but it looked like the majority of people were leaving. Not that Katniss could blame them. There was something lonely about staying on campus during a holiday.

A light snow began to fall and Katniss glared up at the gray clouds looming overhead. Of course it would snow. Another hinderance in her Herculean task of getting to Johanna before she left her shift. She quickly came upon the intersection near the shop, seeing the green awning on the side of the corner location. She whipped around the corner and nearly ran into someone also rounding the same corner in the opposite direction.

"Oh shit I'm sorry," Katniss apologized, seeing the girl holding up two cups of coffee. As she locked eyes with the girl her apologetic frown turned into a shy smile. _Johanna_. She was wearing the world's most adorable saggy green beanie, little spikes of her red and black hair peeking out on her forehead. Her lips were curled up into a crimson smirk, dimpling near the freckle Katniss liked on her cheek. Her leather jacket was open, showing her black work shirt tucked into her jeans, just the tiniest bit of plaid pointed out at the bottom. Katniss's eyes moved down to her hands, which had burgundy painted nails on ringed fingers poking out of gray knit half gloves that had little mitten ends hanging off. _Could she be any cuter?_

"Don't be." Katniss smiled, huffing out a breath that she had been holding in. She was slightly out of breath from jogging the last few blocks and Johanna watched her take deep breaths with narrowed eyes. She raised an eyebrow. "Did you run here?"

"No," Katniss replied, shifting her gaze to the ground. Johanna looked particularly pretty with the snowflakes falling and sticking to her mascara-lined eyelashes and on her cheekbones. Johanna tilted her head ever so slightly to the side and Katniss blushed, heating her already exercise-reddened cheeks. "Yes. I wanted to say, um, goodbye before we went home for break."

Johanna broke eye contact for the first time, looking down at her coffees. She extended one toward Katniss. "Then the least I can do is walk with you to your dorm. And give you this coffee."

Katniss looked down at the hot cup and back up to her. "That's not for me, though."

"It is now." Katniss took the drink warily and Johanna rolled her deep brown eyes at her. "It was for my roommate but I think she's probably gone home by now anyway. So you can save me the extra calories. I won't be burning them off binging Orange is the New Black tonight."

They walked down the street together, watching the tufty snowflakes catch on the dying trees and cluster there. Katniss always enjoyed a snowfall. She liked combing the snowflakes from her hair when she came back in from being outside in the snow. She liked the way they kind of softened the noise of the world. Prim had always enjoyed making snowmen in their front yard, though now at sixteen she was more involved in house parties and SnapChat. Even though their interests were disparate, they were close. She was even a little excited to see her bright, blue-eyed sister again. Perhaps they'd even get to go sledding.

"Aren't you going home?" Katniss asked as they walked through the courtyard between dorms. Students were passing them by, offering smiles as they dragged rolling suitcases behind them. It was time to visit family, but also to do some laundry in a proper laundry room that wasn't shared by a hundred other people.

Johanna looked at her cup and shook her head. "No. Not, uh, not much to go home to." Johanna flashed her a small, closed-lip smile and took a long sip of her coffee. "Is it cool if I smoke?" Johanna withdrew a colored box from her pocket and a clear lighter.

"Is it _cool_? Not really." Johanna rolled her eyes. "But if you're asking if it bothers me, no, go ahead." Johanna handed Katniss her drink and flicked the lighter and cupped her hands, igniting the short white stick. She inhaled a long drag and pushed it upward, watching it dissipate into the snowy air. Katniss stared down at Johanna's cup for a moment, smiling at the small little mark of lipstick around the spout. She almost envied the cup. As she looked over at Johanna she handed her back the beverage. "What do they do here for Thanksgiving?"

Johanna shrugged, holding the cigarette between her lips. "Hell if I know. I usually just take the time to watch an entire series of some television show. My sophomore year I took a trip to Cambodia. It was fucking epic. I went to the Ta Prohm temple? It's this abandoned temple that looks like something out of Tomb Raider. Ancient trees growing inside the ancient brick and mortar. It was pretty mind-blowing."

Katniss took a moment to imagine Johanna hiking along some abandoned trail in the jungle, discovering some temple. Probably giving a glance around and trespassing inside the ancient walls. Probably sweating. "What about your parents? Don't you want to go home to them? See your mockingjays?" she nudged Johanna's arm playfully and the girl offered a brief smile. Katniss realized that she was clearly stepping on some thin ice. The normally very at ease, very put together Johanna was becoming a little closed off.

"Nah. I've got three younger brothers. Nobody wants to see the family disappointment. I go home for Christmas but that's just to see my grandparents. And I guess my mockingjays." Johanna eyed her with a sly smile. "Of course, I've got my very own mockingjay right here." Katniss blushed and then very sadly realized they were in front of her own dorm building. They turned and faced each other in front of the large double doors to the building. Johanna pinched her cigarette out with her fingers and placed it in the cylindrical box near the door for used cigarette butts. She returned to face Katniss, taking another long sip from her beverage.

Katniss grinned, feeling the warmth of the regular Johanna seep into the moment. "And what do you do with your mockingjays?" Katniss wasn't sure from where that confidence had sprung. She looked down at the coffee as the culprit. Certainly it was the caffeine. The festive pumpkin beverage must surely be laced with something to have made that comment emerge from her mouth, in the suggestive tone that it did.

Johanna mirrored her grin and leaned forward only slightly. She tipped Katniss's chin upward with the tip of her index finger. Her voice took on a rasp that Katniss couldn't tell was natural or because of the abrasive nature of the smoke. Her breath was a mixture of ash and pumpkin spice and while not completely pleasant was unmistakably Johanna, and Katniss wanted to taste it. "I like to make them sing."

This was it. This was the moment. A perfect moment to kiss. Where did her coffee courage go? Instead Katniss fumbled and looked down at the ground. "I don't really sing, though."

Johanna ran her tongue along her lower lip, removing some of the lipstick that was on her lips. Katniss watched the action with a held breath, expelling it slowly as Johanna's one finger on her chin was met with two others. She drew a line up Katniss's jaw with her nails, tucking hair behind her ear. "A mockingjay only sings when it hears something it wants to sing back. Maybe you just haven't heard something you wanna sing. Maybe you haven't found something to sing for."

_Or someone_ were the words Katniss heard in her head, the ones she thought she saw in Johanna's eyes. "Maybe." _What a dumb thing to say._ Katniss sighed inwardly. She had fucked up yet another moment of tension between them with her dumb words. One of these days... one of these days she was just going to kiss the daylights out of this girl instead of speaking and messing everything up.

"I'm sure you want to get to packing," Johanna said, removing her fingers from Katniss's ear and wrapping it around her coffee. Katniss thought of Johanna walking alone back to her dorm. Her roommate gone, her dorm a ghost town with everyone happily on their way back home. Home. A place Johanna clearly didn't think she belonged. This slightly deflated Johanna, even in her tough leather jacket and scuffed up boots, made Katniss's heart hurt.

"Do you want to come up for a bit? I'm actually not leaving until tomorrow morning. We could order a pizza or something." Katniss stared down at her boots. Johanna would probably have something better to do than hang out with her and eat pizza. She probably stayed on campus and did something cool; she had only said she would stay in so Katniss didn't feel like a child going home to her mommy.

Johanna cocked an eyebrow. "Got any booze?"

Katniss didn't think it was an appropriate moment to acknowledge that she was not _technically _old enough to drink. She nodded her head. "Lots."

"Then by all means, Mockingjay. Lead the way."

* * *

Katniss pressed the button on the elevator to her dorm, her mind now filing through everything in her room. Was there anything embarrassing in there? Not really. She had a few photos from home but nothing like her in a head brace or something. Madge had cleaned up before she left so she knew the beds were made. Was there take-out containers anywhere? She didn't need Johanna to know how thoroughly terrible she was at cooking.

The elevator creaked noisily beneath their feet and groaned like a sewer monster as they inched upward. "Fuck I feel like I'm coming out of a coal mine or something. This is some Pink Floyd 'Brick In The Wall' shit." Johanna's wide brown eyes took in the elevator with distrust.

Katniss laughed but couldn't disagree. The 12 Dorms were pretty terrible. The elevator always looked and sounded like it was on the brink of collapse. Even though she and Madge were on the fifth floor, Katniss usually preferred to take the stairs for that reason. They arrived on her floor and she led her to her dorm room. For the first time since she had moved in there was relative silence on her floor. It was eerie, but kind of pleasant.

Katniss fumbled with the key and opened the door, pushing the door open for Johanna. The shorter girl slipped by her and entered the room, giving it a cursory inspection. There were the two small beds in an 'L' shape in the corner, each with a desk near the foot. Their two laundry hampers were in the unusable corner between the beds, as well as a garbage can. They shared the large dresser near the door in addition to the small television monitor next to the closet.

Madge's things were mostly gone except for her various decorations. Pink streamers and pictures of middle-aged heartthrobs adorned the wall above her desk. Katniss's desk held a few photos from her youth: one of herself and her father, she and Gale as kids, Prim on her birthday. She had no decorations up except for her old hunting bow that sat atop the desk.

"It's like the Spartans meeting the Athenians in here," Johanna said, smiling. She tossed her cup in their blue recycling bin and took off her gloves. She shoved the convertible mittens in each pocket of her jacket. She slipped the jacket off her shoulders, revealing her black shirt and plaid flannel that Katniss hadn't seen the entirety of before. Johanna seemed to really enjoy flannel. Though she had mentioned living where there was a lot of trees. That was probably why.

For a moment she imagined Johanna as a lithe little lumberjack, chopping down trees and resting an axe on her shoulder. It was meant to be a comical thought, but the image of Johanna swinging an axe down and chopping lumber, her muscles clenched and flexing with each chop, made her mouth dry. "You can put your jacket on Madge's chair," Katniss said, motioning to the desk opposite her own. "And you can sit ..wherever you want."

Katniss sat down at her desk, opening her laptop. As she looked at her desk her eyes widened in alarm. She had all her HeavensBeans cups on her desk, cleaned and organized by size and hot or cold in the back corner of her desk. She positioned her laptop so they weren't completely visible and ordered their pizza online. Johanna sat on her bed - _oh god she's in my bed _- and gave it a few bounces. "The digs here are all right. Way different than in Seven. Can't see shit out the windows because of the trees. The only other view is the One dorm and the Capitol. Neither of which I give a shit about. At least here you can see like, the edges of the earth."

"If you don't mind the dorm rooms looking like a prison cell." Katniss sighed and sent their order through, looking over at Johanna. "So, do you want to watch a movie or some shows? You said something about oranges?"

Johanna chuckled and smiled at Katniss. "Orange is the New Black? The Netflix show?" Katniss shrugged in ignorance. "Wait what? I've already watched both seasons like twenty times." Katniss still looked dumbofunded. "Okay well then that settles it. Queue up some Netflix and put on Season One, Episode One. You're about to get an education in why every lesbian on the planet is now in love with Laura Prepon."

"The girl from That 70s Show?" Katniss questioned, typing in the address into her laptop. She looked at Johanna as the page loaded. "The redhead?"

"Oh, my dear sweet innocent Katniss. You are about to meet Alex Vause and your whole world is gonna change. Trust me." She patted the space next to her on the bed. "Come now, let's get drunk and dive into the debauched world of women's prisons."

Katniss grabbed a few bottles of liquor and her laptop, moving around the bed and sitting next to Johanna, settling the computer on her lap. Johanna took one of the bottles and twisted off the cap, scooting closer to Katniss to see the screen. Katniss watched intently on the screen, taking a swig from the bottle when Johanna handed it to her. As she swallowed the liquid, the black-haired Laura Prepon came on-screen, naked and wet and made out with the blonde girl. Katniss choked on her alcohol and Johanna let out a loud laugh.

"Aaaand _that's_ Alex Vause." Johanna grinned and took another pull from the bottle. Katniss looked away from the screen to Johanna, finally being able to see her tattoo up close. When Johanna handed her the bottle she instead took her wrist gently, swiping over the ink with her thumb. It wasn't just a big black line. It looked like... almost like a sigil. Johanna looked down at their hands, then up toward Katniss. "You missed the bottle."

Katniss chuckled and took it from her. "What's your tattoo?"

"It's my family's crest." She turned over her wrist and held it out for Katniss to see. Katniss wedged the bottle of liquor between her legs and slowly traced the design with the tip of her finger. She hazarded a glance toward Johanna, who had briefly closed her eyes. She smiled. When she opened them, Katniss was staring down at the tattoo. "The helm here is well, a helmet. This fancy dude was higher up in the social status. The lion is rampant, up on his hind legs, and he symbolizes bravery, strength, honor. The little mermaid at the top is for eloquence. I guess somewhere in my family there might have been some writers."

Katniss traced the small print at the top. "And the words?"

"Dum spiro spero. While I breathe I have hope."

"That's beautiful." Johanna smiled shyly and reached toward Katniss's legs, pulling the liquor bottle from between them. "Do you have any others?"

Johanna raised an eyebrow as she took a swig. After she swallowed, she smirked. "None that are visible without me taking my clothes off."

"O-oh." Katniss diverted her attention back to the screen, but in the corner of her periphery, she saw Johanna still smirking at her. "Maybe some other time then." Katniss smiled smugly as it was Johanna's turn to cough and sputter with her liquor.

* * *

Katniss found out a few things that night. One, that Johanna considered herself a "Nicky Nichols," but Katniss insisted she was "an Alex." Two, she was apparently "a Piper." Three, Johanna's love of pizza nearly rivaled her own. Between them they had finished an entire large pie and two bottles of liquor. Four, Johanna's shoulder was the most comfortable place on Earth to lean your head. They had only gotten through nine episodes before Katniss passed out on it.

And five, she was alone when she woke up the next morning. Her head pounded from the night's incessant drinking, but she quickly sat up in her bed. How had she ended up laying in her own bed under her blankets? The last thing she remembered was telling Johanna that she was "definitely an Alex" and then feeling the warmth of her shoulder against her cheek. She looked down and realized ..._I'm wearing her shirt. _Johanna's plaid shirt was on her. Wearing Johanna's shirt. When had this happened?

Oh right. Somewhere between episode four and five she had complained about being cold and Johanna had offered her shirt. She had accepted. Katniss lifted one side and brought it to her face. It smelled like pine and fire and a little like coffee. It smelled like Johanna.

On her desk sat a bottle of water and two white pills as well as a scribbled note on a ripped piece of paper. Katniss rubbed her head as she picked up the piece of paper.

_Hey kid,_

_You did pretty well, almost made it to daybreak. You have to promise to watch the rest of Orange on your break and let me know what you think. Tell me if you still think I'm Alex. Thanks for keeping me company. Have a nice trip home._

_See you at the shop soon,_

_Johanna_

_PS - The cups are recyclable, you don't have to hoard them on your desk. ;)_

Katniss sunk into her chair and groaned loudly into her hands. Her cup from yesterday sat on her desk, washed and shining, on top of her laptop.

* * *

Katniss sometimes waited nearly an hour to say hello to Johanna. The line would be to the door, like it was today, and she would wait until it was only two people long to approach. She hated feeling rushed in the single interaction they had. While she hated the waiting, she did enjoy to watch Johanna work, especially when the raven-haired girl didn't know she was there.

Her seat was only a few feet from door, which was constantly shrouded in a cloud of coeds entering and shaking snow off their coats. Everyone had just come back from break the day before, so they were clearly either socializing or doing the work they had blown off all week. Once the line died down some Katniss left her seat and waited behind two others.

She could see a girl in a baseball cap leaning on the counter, watching Johanna work. Her gaze narrowed as she tried to hone in on their conversation. Katniss didn't remember what she ordered - whatever was next on the menu - as she stalked this girl with fire in her eyes. "So what's your major?"

Katniss couldn't see Johanna, but she did hear her from behind the whirring machines. "Physics." Physics? She had been told environmental science. She hadn't actually ever asked Johanna, though. Now she felt a little stupid.

"Wow that sounds hard." She felt a little less stupid because this girl was a complete idiot. Giving Johanna googly eyes over the counter, biting her lip to try and appear sexy. She already had her drink and was almost halfway done with it. How long had she been bothering Johanna? "What do you want to do with your major?"

Katniss finally saw a glimpse of Johanna, who was focused down on her drink. She smiled as she saw Johanna roll her eyes. "Physics."

"Cool, cool." Okay this girl had to go. Katniss approached the counter, leaning up and into the girl's view to see Johanna. She heard the huff of annoyance and ignored it.

"Hey Johanna," she called, and Johanna's head whipped up from her task and she smiled. Katniss gave the girl a glance out of the corner of her eye. "So listen, you forgot your shirt in my dorm over break." She watched as brown eyes widened, looking from the annoying girl on her right, back to Katniss. "I washed it for you. Didn't think you'd mind. I left it at my dorm though, so if you want to come by later and pick it up, I can thank you properly for the other night." Katniss put on what she hoped was a seductive tone. By the pretty blush she saw creeping up from Johanna's cleavage, she guessed correctly.

Katniss thought Johanna's eyes were going to pop from her head and skitter across the floor. Slowly, though, her slight embarrassment gave way to realization. "Oh, right. Thanks, babe." _Babe_. Katniss couldn't help but chuckle at the word. It sounded so natural, as if they'd been calling each other that pet name forever. She normally hated the way "babe" sounded in her ears. Usually because it was grunted out by meaty frat guys. But out of Johanna's mouth, it sounded good.

"Oh I'm sorry, am I in your way? Did you get your drink?" Katniss asked sweetly, looking over at the girl who very obviously had her drink. The girl rolled her eyes and walked away from the counter. Katniss took her spot, watching Johanna put together her drink.

"Thank you," Johanna said, capping the lid on to her cup. "That girl is relentless. She comes in here like every day and never shuts the fuck up. I have to be polite because I'm working but I just want to slap her."

"I come in here every day," Katniss offered glumly, taking the drink from Johanna. The girl kept her fingers around the cup, then placed her hand over Katniss's own.

"Yeah, but I _like_ seeing you." She let go of Katniss's hand and placed her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. "Did you really wash my shirt?" _No _was Katniss's honest answer. She hadn't because it smelled like Johanna and she had worn it when she went home. It was sitting on her bed in her dorm, folded neatly.

"Yeah."

Johanna ran her tongue across the tops of her teeth and smiled. "Well you can keep it if you want. It did look cute on you." The redhaired girl she worked with, Emerson, shoved a cup at Johanna who diverted her gaze and began making the drink. Katniss dreamily walked back toward her table, heaving a contented sigh. She didn't know how long she and Johanna were going to go keep up this flirting charade, but she was bent on enjoying every single moment of it.

* * *

Author's Note: Big motherfuckin' thank yous to everyone reading and commenting on this story! I get to write Joniss and autumn and winter and coffee and those are like...my favorite things in the world. And you guys actually _like _it so that makes it ten times better. :)

I wrote part of this at a Starbucks. INCEPTION.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that jonissheadcanons over on tumblr drew THE CUTEST PICTURE EVER of the first scene between our girls. So go check it out 'cos it was super fucking cute.


	4. The Peppermint Latte

This was not supposed to happen. It was one thing to see Johanna at HeavensBeans. It was safe. It was cozy. It was also a.. thing.. to see Johanna in her room, on her bed. That was not as safe but it was pretty cozy. Waking up with the knowledge that Johanna had tucked her in and left her a note had been confidence-boosting. She had seen Johanna at the open mic nights enough, out of her typical black shirt attire. That was okay. That was safe.

But _this_ was not supposed to happen.

Madge had practically begged Katniss to take her to the Training Center in the middle of campus where the athletes or other fitness-minded alums would make use of the swimming pool, track, gymnastics and other fitness machines. Rows of treadmills against the wall next to stationary bikes and other contraptions that looked to Katniss like medieval torture devices. Donning her ill-fitting sweatpants rolled below her knee and long high school t-shirt, she and Madge had walked the cold distance between their dorm to the center. It was fairly late at night, around 8pm, so they had assumed the place would be deserted.

It wasn't.

Johanna was there. Not only was Johanna there, Katniss thought as she stood dumbly in the doorway, but she was ...fighting. She stood in the center of a boxing ring, clad in some tiny shorts that just _had _to be illegal and a sports bra that criss-crossed behind her back. Her hair was tied up messily behind her, her boxing gloves held tightly to her face. Katniss didn't recognize the man in the ring with her, but he didn't matter. She gulped as she watched Johanna bounce back and forth on the balls of her feet, dodging swipes by her opponent.

"C'mon, lightweight. Actually _try_ to hit me. God, it's like sparring with my grandfather." Johanna's swing made contact with the man's jaw and he stumbled back toward the ropes. "Scratch that. My grandfather would've seen that right hook coming and he went blind in his left eye sixty fucking years ago."

The man stumbled toward the corner of the ring, smacking his glove against the bell. Evidently that meant the match was over because Johanna pouted and dropped her gloves to her sides. The guy grabbed a towel, wiping his face and around the back of his neck. He had auburn hair to match an auburn beard, looking around the same age as Johanna. "You win, Jesus H. Christ."

"You're damn right I won." Johanna grabbed her own towel and wrapped it around her neck, crawling out from between the ropes and hopping down from the ring. She grabbed a nearby water bottle and shot the liquid into her mouth, then some along her face. She wiped it off with the towel and began shaking out her arms. Madge had long moved on to the treadmills, but Katniss stood firmly in the doorway. Johanna's body was ...incredible. Slim legs with muscles that Katniss could practically feel pulsing. An abdomen with just the faintest hint of defined muscles. Katniss saw the peek of a tattoo just above the rolled waistband of her shorts. Another small tattoo was partially obscured by her bra.

She turned around and stretched to her toes, giving Katniss a spectacular view that dried her throat. There was a small tattoo on the back of her thigh that Katniss could just make out the design. It was a set of dates and two atoms. Even if she was up close she wouldn't be able to tell those atoms from any other. How was this even fair? Johanna couldn't be kind of _nerdy_ and _hot_ and _witty_ and _sweaty_ and _fit_. You don't get to be all of those things. Nobody actually gets to be _Alex Vause_.

Indignant about her own staring she wandered off toward the sections of the center. Everything was fairly high tech, what with Panem's collegiate athletic record being what it was, so it was no surprise that the money from the school got funneled here instead of, say, her prison-like dorm. Giddily she saw that were was an archery range. Gale had told her that Panem had an archery team but Katniss had refused to participate. Archery was something she hadn't done since her father died.

She grabbed an appropriately sized bow and set up obstacles for herself with the small glass computer monitor. The doors closed behind her and she took her stance in the middle of the room. It had been a long time since she had hit any targets with an arrow, but it was sort of like riding a bicycle. The targets began falling from the ceiling, moving up and down like a shotgun practice range.

With deliberate precision she fired off the arrows and hit the targets one by one. With one arrow she hit two of the targets, the arrow having sailed through the first one. The targets changed, morphing into orange cube animals that began coming at her. She moved around the room with ease, rolling on her shoulder and taking down what looked like an 8-bit bengal tiger.

She lost track of time in there. When the machine finally powered down, sweat was dripping from her forehead and making her forearms glisten. She returned the bow to the stand and as she got to the glass sliding doors, saw Johanna standing there, arms crossed over her chest. The doors opened for her and she stepped out toward Johanna, who didn't move out of her way.

"Nice shootin' there Robin Hood."

Katniss blushed and smiled shyly, giving a glance back to the glass-enclosed space. Her eyes returned to Johanna, whose hands were still wrapped from her boxing. Her body still glistened with sweat, making the ink of her tattoos appear like fresh pen on paper. "Thanks. I used to go hunting with my dad as a kid."

Johanna made an impressed gesture with her mouth and then returned her lips to their usual smirk. Even here, face devoid of make-up and sweating, she was incredibly sexy. Not that women needed make-up to be sexy, but Johanna's darkened eyelids always added to her femme fatale look, but evidently she didn't need it. "You gotta come on laser tag night. I think it's Wednesday nights? They even have a bow. You can do your little Merida routine there."

"Merida?"

"You never saw Brave?" Katniss shook her head. "Oh my God! Katniss, Merida is like your spirit animal. I can't believe you've never watched it."

Katniss blushed and looked up from beneath hooded lids. "Maybe you can fix that for me, then."

"Is that so?" Johanna stepped forward, tilting her head to the side. A little droplet of sweat fell from her forehead and Katniss watched it fall to the floor, very slowly bringing her eyes to meet the intense brown gaze that was being leveled at her. "Will do, Mockingjay. Will do."

Katniss ducked her gaze and took a tiny step back. "So tell me how do you have the stamina for all this when you smoke?"

Johanna rolled her eyes. "Still on about my smoking?"

"Yes I'm _still on _about it. You're killing yourself." Katniss had made mention of Johanna's smoking once or twice since the day they had walked to her dorm. It's not that it made Johanna less attractive, it simply hurt Katniss's feelings that she would want to harm herself. She perked up and smirked at Johanna. "How about this. If you start to quit smoking, I will sing at one of the open mic nights when we get back to school next semester."

Johanna raised an eyebrow and mused upon Katniss's offer. She licked along her lips and nodded. "Okay, you've got a deal." She held out her hand and the two women exchanged a firm handshake. Johanna used that as leverage to pull Katniss forward and lean into her ear. "I can't wait to make you sing, Mockingjay." She pulled back, her face close as she winked at Katniss before turning and walking away.

Katniss expelled a breath she had been holding, then broke it into a wide smile.

* * *

"So let me get this straight."

"Yes."

"You come here nearly every other day and get a drink."

"Yes."

"You talk to her like every day."

"Yes."

"And yet, neither one of you has had the confidence to ask the other out? What are you waiting for, a rolled out red carpet and a bunch of bright lights leading you to her pants?"

Katniss slapped Gale's arm returned her hands to clasp around her latte. Having gone through all the regular menu items, she was now on to ordering what the specials were for the day. Today's was "Peppermint Butler" - complete with a drawing on the board of the _Adventure Time _character. It was a peppermint latte with a small drizzle of chocolate and a few white chocolate shavings on the top.

"It's not..." Gale rolled his eyes and Katniss sighed. "I'm waiting for her to make a move! She's so much better at words than me. I have that problem where she looks at me and I just... with words..." Katniss's voice trailed off as she caught Johanna's gaze from across the shop, and the other girl winked in her direction.

"Yeah, I've noticed." Gale smiled at his friend and shook his head with a soft chuckle. "Look, you both clearly like each other. Just ask her out. What's the worst that could happen?"

Katniss's gray eyes enlarged as she looked back to Gale. Surely he was kidding. "The worst that could happen? She could say no!" Gale didn't react. Guys could be so unbearably dense. Especially handsome guys like Gale who never got turned down. "And then I can't come here anymore. And..and she'll date someone else and I'll die alone with Buttercup."

Gale ran his fingers through his hair, taking a long sip of his tea. "First of all, you won't die alone. Second of all, Buttercup doesn't like you." Katniss frowned sourly as Gale shifted his weight in the seat. "And she won't say no. She's done nothing but stare at you for the," he glanced down at his phone, "three hours we've been here."

"Okay but obviously she thinks I'm some kind of weirdo since she hasn't asked me out and I've been stalking her at her job for four months." Katniss heaved a dramatic sigh and sat back in her chair. Johanna was chatting up some girl at the bar. Katniss's eyes narrowed considerably as she watched the girl giggle nervously. What was Johanna saying? Was she _flirting_ with her?

"Listen." Katniss wasn't listening. She was trying to hear the conversation over the din of the shop, which was an impossibility. "Katniss." Katniss begrudgingly turned her attention to Gale, who looked more than exasperated at her dramatics. "The BKP frat is holding a party this weekend. I happen to know for a fact that Johanna will be there. Why don't we go? Bring Madge if you want."

"How do you know she'll be there?"

"Because everyone who is anyone will be there. It's a big deal on campus." Katniss didn't know Johanna was an "anyone" but she was interested in this party. Maybe the flow of alcohol would bring one of them the confidence they needed to ask out the other. Maybe it would be like in all those college movies where they would dance and the sexual tension would be too much and they'd stumble into an unused bedroom. She'd press Johanna against the door, kissing her madly and tasting the alcohol the faint cigarette taste of her mouth. Johanna would take the lead, grabbing Katniss under her ass and wrapping her legs around her waist, leading them both to the bed. She'd grin wickedly as she shrugged off her leather jacket and bit her lip.

"I literally don't even want to know what you're thinking about because you just went beet red." Gale flipped the hood up on his sweatshirt and grabbed his backpack, hefting it over his shoulder and shaking his head with disdain. "It's at the BKP frat house over on Maple Street. Eleven on Saturday night. I'll see you there, Catnip."

Katniss watched as Johanna bit her lip in the same manner we had just imagined, but at something the girl had said. What did this girl have that Katniss didn't have? Clearly she could hold a conversation. Her hair and make-up looked professionally done, but she was probably just one of those girls that knew how to do her make-up. Unlike Katniss who had to watch YouTube tutorials and had been wearing the same braid since she was six years old. Her shirt was low-cut, more than necessary in the cold December weather.

December had creeped up slowly. Finals were winding down and the campus would be deserted soon, everyone going home for break. Katniss was looking forward to spending the extended holiday with her family, but she was nervous about Johanna. They wouldn't see each other for weeks. What if Johanna forgot all about her? What if she hooked up with this cleavagey slut bomb with her cute face and her social graces? Katniss stared miserably down at her drink, feeling more out of her league than before.

* * *

Madge had been so thrilled that Katniss wanted to go to a party. Katniss never wanted to go to parties and she was thrilled to finally be able to accompany her. She deliberated what to wear for about three hours before they went to the party. Maple Street was very close to their dorm so they opted for light jackets over their sweaters. Katniss had decided on a very dark wash of blue jeans with heels, a dangling belt to match the long mockingjay necklace she had on.

The party was louder than Katniss had imagined. The music could be heard clearly a block away, a pounding house beat that Katniss could feel in her heart. Madge seemed to be excited by the noise and began jumping up and down as they neared the front door. Katniss already began regretting her decision to come to the party. Two couples were making out on the porch, loudly slobbering all over each other.

Katniss grimaced as they entered the front door. A burly frat guy in a sweater approached them drunkenly. "Ladies! Welcome to ..the party! The keg is over here, help yourselves." He smelled sour like stale beer and milk. Madge nodded and got them both cups from the tap, handing the red solo cup to Katniss.

"I know you wanna find Johanna," Madge yelled into Katniss's ear, "I'm gonna go find Gale. Have fun!" She quickly hugged Katniss, who did not return the hug, and weaved her small form through the pulsing throng of bodies in the main room of the converted home. Katniss sighed and sipped the beer, grimacing at the taste. So much for getting drunk tonight; the beer tasted like cold urine.

She heard some commotion in the kitchen so she made her way there. It also seemed to be the farthest from the speakers that felt like they were going to shake the picture frames from the walls. When she arrived in the oddly quaint looking kitchen, she was surprised to see Johanna, surrounded by a group of people. On the table was a bizarre pile of things all being balanced on their edges. A solo cup, two forks, a toothpick, a knife, someone's smart phone, two shot glasses and she was currently trying to place a salt shaker at the very top. It was like kitchen accessories jenga, but all very precise. Everyone in the room became quiet as she finally found the right location.

"All about weight distribution..." Finally she let her hands go and everything balanced perfectly. The group around her all clapped and cheered wildly; someone handed Johanna a shot. "Physics, bitch!" she cheered as she raised up the shot and knocked it back. Through the excited coeds she caught Katniss's eye and looked incredibly surprised to see her. But happy.

Before Katniss could approach a large guy stepped into her view. He was sort of classically attractive in the face with dusty blond hair and bright green eyes, chiseled cheekbones. He was overly muscled in just about every area, his biceps seeming to look for escape from his shirt. "What's up?"

Katniss flared her nostrils in response. "Nothing."

"Oh yeah? That's cool, that's cool." He took a sip from his cup, furthering the stinking beer breath he had working for him that nearly made Katniss vomit. "Haven't seen you at these parties before. You a Frosh?"

_Frosh_. Katniss groaned and rolled her eyes. "Can we not? This," she motioned between them with her cup, "is not going anywhere. I am not interested. I'm sure there's some drunk girl you can chat up with your crazy nice bone structure and huge muscles."

The boy smirked, flexing his arm as he took another sip from his cup. "You uh, noticed my muscles?" He took a step into Katniss's personal bubble and she gripped her drink tightly. "People think it's about the gains, you know. The proteins. I tell 'em it's just about liftin' a lot of weight. I could probably lift you up with one arm. Wanna see?"

"Gloss, how about you go try to find a couple of your brain cells somewhere, hm?" Johanna asked from the right side of the boy, canting her head to the side. Her black and red streaked hair fell over her face as she stared up at the imposing figure. She came around to Katniss's side, throwing her arm over Katniss's shoulder. The taller girl looked briefly toward Johanna whose intense gaze was settled on Gloss. Katniss got lost in the scent of Johanna's sweat and her body wash. It smelled kinda masculine like pine. Maybe Irish Spring or something.

Gloss rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Shouldda figured she was a dyke."

Katniss felt Johanna's entire body go rigid. Something told her that those words were not okay to be spoken in front of Johanna. "What did you say?" Johanna asked in the lowest, raspiest, most threatening tone Katniss thought she had ever heard. It perversely turned her on. _Great_.

"You heard me." He tilted his head for emphasis. "Dyke."

"Katniss, do you mind?" Johanna handed Katniss her drink and the girl took it without question. "For the record?" Johanna slid her palms up Gloss's chest, pressing against his pectorals. "I'm fucking bisexual you dumb fucking inbred douchecanoe." Her fist shot back and forth with such quickness Katniss could barely blink before Gloss stumbled backwards and the sound of bone cracking was heard even over the music.

"Hey Cash. Why don't you get your brother an ice pack? And maybe a new fucking brain because his isn't working so well tonight." An equally attractive blonde girl with long curly hair scrambled over toward the boy, physically restraining him from retaliating. Johanna laughed in his face and took her drink from Katniss. "C'mon kid. Join me outside for a second."

Katniss followed her instructions, going outside through a side door she hadn't seen through the many people admiring Johanna's physics feat in the kitchen. The cold night air hit her like a slap in the face. Her decision to wear a light jacket was pretty stupid. Johanna opened her pocket and removed a piece of gum from a packet, popping it in her mouth.

"You didn't have to do that, you know. I'm capable of handling a drunken dude hitting on me."

Johanna raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms, hugging herself from the cold. "I know you can. I just..." Her voice trailed off as she stared down at her boots. "I didn't like it, is all." She took another piece of gum out and faced the white and red packaging toward Katniss. "See? Quitting." The gum was not even nicotine-based. It was a cinnamon gum. Katniss smiled. "Well I've gotta do something with my mouth. This makes me irritable as fuck."

_I can think of about one thousands things you can do with that mouth_. As she pocketed the gum Katniss's eyes went down toward her hand. She grasped it from Johanna with a gasp. "Oh no. You're bleeding." Her fingers brushed over the reddened wounds on Johanna's hand and the girl jerked her hand but Katniss held firmly on to her palm. "You should clean this up. Put some ice on it." Her sisterly instincts took over. "Come on."

She practically dragged Johanna back inside the house, ignoring the people who called Johanna's name. No, this was _her_ time. _Her_ night. _Her_ last chance to do something, _say _something to Johanna to make sure they didn't forget each other over break. She wandered around until she found a bathroom. They waited patiently outside the door. "This isn't necessary, Katniss. I'm fine."

Katniss flicked her eyes toward Johanna with a short-tempered glare. "Your hand is bleeding because of me. At least let me help you." Johanna huffed and Katniss squeezed her palm. "Please? It'll make me feel better."

She pouted her lips a little and it seemed to win Johanna over, clearly to her annoyance. "Fine." The girl in the bathroom finally emerged and Katniss shot her a look of disdain before pulling Johanna in behind her. The older girl locked the door and as she turned around, saw Katniss holding up some antibiotic cream and some white gauze. Her face flashed surprise. "Wow, you were serious."

"Of course I was serious. Why else would I have pulled you in here?" Katniss rolled her gray eyes and took Johanna's hand, running it under the faucet. She dabbed it with a nearby towel, wiping the excess blood. Johanna had amazing hands - strong, but feminine. A little roughness to her fingertips and palm but still soft enough to be pliable under pressure. "Doesn't look too bad."

"Thanks, Dr. Katniss Everdeen." Katniss shot her a look and began applying the salve. Johanna's hand tensed under the touch but to her credit, she didn't wince. Katniss slowly wrapped her hand in the white gauze, using her teeth to pull it apart and tucked it underneath the wrapping. Without any tape or pins, that would have to do. Besides, it was just a scrape. "Good as new."

Katniss sighed and put the things she had taken out back inside the medicine cabinet. "At least you'll have something to remember me by," she mumbled under her breath, unable to face the other girl. Johanna's gauzed hand came up to her chin and gently moved her head to the side so they were facing each other. She moved her body in accordance, seeing the smirk on Johanna's face.

"And what should I give you to remember me by? Other than a fairly impressive stack of cups?" Katniss blushed and darted her gaze to the ugly yellow shower curtain to the right. What a putrid color. Johanna's fingers squeezed her chin a little and she brought her attention back. "Oh _I_ know." Katniss could've sworn it was a dream. Though it was a dream, they wouldn't be in the vaguely vomit-smelling bathroom of a crowded frat house. But that didn't matter. As Johanna leaned her face in close and very tenderly placed her lips on Katniss's, all she could hear and smell was Johanna. The taste of cinnamon on her lips as they moved against her own, the smell of pine coming from within her shirt, the faint smell of vanilla and alcohol in her hair.

The hand that was on her chin snaked around her neck, deepening the kiss with a swipe of her cinnamon tongue. The other hand slowly traced down her back until she got to Katniss's backside, squeezing it and pulling their bodies flush. Katniss groaned wantonly into the kiss, running both her hands through Johanna's hair and then gripping her shoulders. Like magic Johanna's hands were underneath her knees, grabbing her and lifting her off the ground until she sat on the edge of the porcelain sink. Johanna's fingernails dragged under the back of her shirt, grazing her skin as her lips moved down her jaw to her neck.

It was only then that Katniss realized what Johanna was going to give her. Not just this amazing kiss. She felt teeth on her neck and the pressure of lips just where her neck met her shoulders. Johanna sucked hard, then gently ran her tongue over the small wound in an attempt to appease the enflamed skin. Then she gripped the back of Katniss's neck and sucked hard once more, pushing a rather unladylike moan from Katniss's throat. Who knew something so painful could feel so good?

Johanna kissed the bruise - the hickey - and then brought her magical lips back to Katniss's, kissing her again slowly with a less frenzied purpose. Instead the kisses were long and passionate, punctuating with small licks and the tugging of teeth. Katniss heard Johanna breathe her name in between kisses, her voice somewhere between a whisper and a moan. It was beautiful.

Johanna moved away from her, still standing between Katniss's thigh on the sink. "Think you'll remember me now, Mockingjay?"

Katniss panted out a short laugh and nodded. "I think so. But I might need a reminder when we get back."

Johanna cocked an eyebrow and leaned in close. Katniss's breath hitched in her throat in anticipation of another kiss. "Count on it." There was no kiss. Just a licking of her lips and a breeze out the door. Katniss sighed happily and rested her head against the mirror. She already wanted the winter break to be over.

* * *

Author's Note: Yay thanks for all the love for this AU! Keep it comin'! It feeds the ego. :3

To the anon guest: Yes, Dum Spiro Spero is fairly common. It happens to actually be on the Mason crest. It's common for those with Anglo-Saxon heritage, like from England and Ireland.

I'm glad y'all enjoyed my little OITNB thing in there. I love me some Vause. To the person who's never seen it - Season 1 is on DVD which means you can probably get it online somewhere fo' free. OR, out of context, someone has all of the Alex/Piper (the main lez OTP) moments on YouTube from the past 2 seasons.


	5. The Coffee - Whole Milk with 3 Sugars

Katniss groaned as her phone vibrated against the wooden top of her childhood dresser. She should have put it on silent. Looking at her clock - an embarrassing pink princess clock she had in her possession since she was five - revealed the time to be six a.m. Who in the world would text her at six in the morning on Christmas? She hadn't woken up this early since ...probably the year she got the princess clock.

She looked at her phone and saw the Snapchat notification from Johanna. Groggily she swiped her phone open, launching the app and waiting patiently for it to load. She held her finger down and revealed a selfie of Johanna with a mug of coffee to her lips, her eyes alight with mischief. Behind her was a giant Christmas tree - it looked about twenty feet high - lit up in reds and greens with an enormous pile of presents. The text "Merry Christmas Brainless" ran across the bottom.

Katniss quickly took a picture of the snap and then opened her messaging app. More awake now that she had seen a cutely disheveled Johanna with a Grinch coffee mug, she used both her hands to type out a message.

_- In what world is 6 an ok time to send someone a message? Why are you awake?_

Katniss waited patiently with her phone in her lap, propping herself up on her headboard and awaiting Johanna's response. Instead of a text she saw another notification appear at the top of her screen. With a roll of her eyes she opened the app again and pressed her finger down for another picture from Johanna. It was a picture of what looked like a forest, but the deck in the foreground indicated this was probably Johanna's backyard. It was covered in snow. The message "WHITE CHRISTMAS!" on the bottom made Katniss smile.

Katniss again opened her messaging and typed out another text.

_- I understand that. I too have a window. That doesn't answer why you're awake at such a terrible hour?_

Instead of a response she got another picture. This time it was Johanna in a Santa hat, giving Katniss the most adorable pout she had ever seen. In the background was the giant Christmas tree, and the surroundings looked to Katniss like one of those Aspen cabin homes. The message "...I really like Christmas..." was on the bottom and Katniss smiled.

A text popped up and she returned to the messaging.

_Sorry. I thought with a little sister you'd be awake._

_- My sister is 16. She stopped caring about Christmas like four years ago._

_What?! Grinch much?! Dude tell your sister to get with the program. Christmas. Lights. Snow. Presents?! Hot cocoa. Candy canes. COOKIES. Coffee? Apple pie. Presents?!_

Of all the things she thought Johanna was, Christmas enthusiast was not among them. Though she had mentioned only going home for Christmas to see her grandparents. If anything, it only endeared Katniss more. Which was not necessary as she was already infatuated with the older girl to near super stalker levels.

_- I'm with you, I like Christmas. I liked that peppermint mocha thing with the orange you made me. What is that called again?_

There was a long pause before Katniss received a response.

_We can call it whatever you want. I made it up._

Katniss raised her eyebrow down at her phone. Typically, once she had ran out of the menu items, she would just ask for Johanna's suggestions. She had assumed Johanna was making her things from a secret menu, or specials on the board Katniss had failed to notice in her tunnel vision to see Johanna.

_- You made it up? Like you invented that drink?_

_Yeah._

_- Why?_

Again another long pause. Katniss had enough time to pad to the bathroom to brush her teeth, the warm smell of waffles invading her nose. Her mother was awake. Waffles with whipped cream and strawberries was their Christmas tradition. With a smile she went back into her room and picked up her phone. The response she saw made her smile even more.

_Maybe I liked seeing you._

Feeling giddy she fell back on to her bed as she typed her response back.

_- Maybe? I have a hickey on my neck that says otherwise._

_Hahaha oh yeah._

_- You forgot? How many girls did you give hickeys that night?_

_Why Mockingjay? Would that bother you?_

Of course it would fucking bother me, Katniss thought to herself. She had drank more coffee and espresso in the four months since she met Johanna than she had in her entire life. Probably several people's rations of coffee. Johanna had to know very well that it would bother her. That kiss they had shared, no one had ever kissed her like that: like she was truly desirable.

_- Maybe._

_I remember a kiss that means more than maybe. _Katniss blushed. _Enjoy your x-mas, gorgeous._

_- You too Santa's Lil Helper._

Katniss put her phone down and stretched off of her bed. She placed her palms on her dresser and began doing some standing push-ups to get the blood circulating in her body. Her phone vibrated once more and Katniss rolled her eyes as she picked it up, opening up the Snapchat app again. She nearly fell as her hand slipped out that was gripping the dresser and she had to prevent herself from faceplanting into the furniture. Johanna was most definitely topless, but both her hands were in front of her boobs giving Katniss two middle fingers. She was still in her Santa hat. How did she even take this?!

Katniss quickly fumbled with her phone and took a picture before it disappeared, then opened up her photos app to stare at it again. Her _body_. The tattoo above her breast was more visible now - it was some Chinese symbol. How cliched. Katniss was almost disappointed. From what she knew of Johanna it seemed like the least likely thing she'd have on her.

Unable to resist, she rattled off a text.

_- A chinese symbol? Really?_

_Stared at my boob, huh?  
If you must know I got that tattoo in Shanghai by this badass bald chick. It's the Chinese character for fire._

_- It looks like a K._

_It's supposed to look like a fire. But you're right. It is kind of a K. You on fire, Mockingjay?_

_- After that picture you sent me..._

_;) If I knew you'd be this easy I'd have shown you my boobs way earlier in the game._

_- I am not easy, tyvm. I just.. noticed is all. And I couldn't see your boobs._

_Disappointed? I've still got more tats you haven't seen, Mockingjay. Maybe one day if you're lucky._

Lucky is right, Katniss thought to herself as she slowly changed into her clothes for the day. Katniss wanted to count all of Johanna's tattoos with her mouth. This was far too much physical stimulation for this early in the morning. She pocketed her phone and left her room in favor of the kitchen with her mother. The blonde woman was mixing a bowl of batter, ready to do another batch of waffles.

"This smells amazing," Katniss commented as she gave her mother a small hug. Her mother smiled at her and continued mixing, pushing out the clumps of flour. Katniss sat at the breakfast nook, leafing through the local paper her mother had left out. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too." Her mother hummed to herself as she poked at the batter. "So tell me, how did the semester go?" Her mother turned to her, holding the bowl against her abdomen as she stirred.

Katniss shrugged. "It went okay." Her eyes scanned the counter behind her mother. "Do we have any coffee?"

Her mother raised her eyebrow. "We do," she said slowly. She turned and turned on the stove, igniting the blue flames beneath her kettle. "I'll put the water on. Since when do you drink coffee? Is this a new college thing?"

Katniss couldn't hide the blush on her cheeks and her mother stopped stirring and looked at her with a peculiar expression. "No, it's... I mean I guess. There's a coffee shop really close to campus that I go to sometimes to... study... and stuff. With Gale.. Or alone."

Her mother poured the batter over the greased waffle iron, closing the appliance and turned to face her. "Katniss Everdeen. You are lying by omission. You know, when you came back for Thanksgiving you really wanted coffee then, too." She licked some of the batter on the wooden spoon and leaned on the counter in front of Katniss. Her blue eyes were bright with playfulness. "Is there someone there you like to see?" Katniss's ever-deepening blush was the dead giveaway. "A _boy_?" Katniss lifted one nostril. Her mother knew she was gay, she just enjoyed to tease her. "Ah, a girl. Even better, you won't get pregnant. What's her name?"

"I won't get pregnant? Geez Mom what do you think I do? Hop into bed with baristas? I do have to study, you know. It's school. It's _college_. Very demanding work and all that."

Her mother rolled her eyes at her, casting a glance back toward the waffle iron to make sure nothing was leaking. She turned her attention back to Katniss and pointed the wooden spoon at her. "Spill the _beans_." Her mother giggled at her own pun.

Katniss placed the newspaper on top of her head and put her chin on the counter. "Her name is Johanna. She's a Physics major at my school in the same grade as Gale. Third year. She's really smart and super funny. She's got these brown eyes that look like ...that look like..."

"Coffee?" her mother supplied, wiggling her eyebrows.

Katniss groaned. "Okay yes, kind of. Like a hot fresh cup of coffee. She's beautiful, Mom."

Her mother smiled and lifted the newspaper to peek at her daughter. "Do you have any pictures of this beautiful, coffee-making vixen who has seduced my daughter into the caffeinated world of lattes?"

Katniss's mind briefly flashed to the Santa hat photo and she shook her head with such quickness the newspaper flew off and scattered across the counter. "Um no, no. No pictures. We aren't exactly dating or anything."

The waffle iron made a small ding and her mother moved over to it to release the waffle from its cast iron prison. She scooped it out and put it in the oven to keep it warm until Primrose was awake. "Okay," she said over her shoulder, "then paint me a picture of her! With words."

Katniss sighed and began collecting the newspaper as she spoke. "Fine. She's...she's a little shorter than me. Her eyes are about to my nose. She's got black hair that comes around to her shoulders, kind of a choppy cut. She's got these bright red streaks in the front. Her skin is...pale..but not too pale. Like the night after a harvest moon when it almost goes back to being paper white again. She's kinda thin but..keeps herself in shape. She's got some tattoos. Not really many you can see. One on her wrist, one on her thigh... one on her -" Katniss's eyes widened. "Um, on her upper body. Her eyes are dark and deep, always kind of intense. Even when she's smiling her eyes are like ...really focused, you know? She's got this tiny freckle on the corner of her mouth that almost disappears when she smiles. When she smiles..." Katniss trailed off, her own delirious smile on her face. "When she smiles it feels like getting let in on the world's biggest secret."

Her mother grinned at her. She walked behind Katniss and enveloped her in a hug from behind, kissing her cheek. "And you still haven't been on a date? What is she waiting for?"

"I know, right?" Katniss agreed with a fervent shake of her head. "I mean we kissed once at a party but that was it."

Her mother smirked and released her from the hug. "Must've been some kiss."

"What? What do you mean?"

Her mother smirked as she turned off the stove and went to retrieve the instant coffee mix. "I mean, my darling daughter, that you're still bearing a little reminder of that 'one kiss.'" Her mother tapped the area on her own neck where Katniss was still sporting a fading bruise from Johanna's little love bite. "Maybe go put some concealer on that before your grandma gets here, okay? I don't want her having a heart attack if she sees a hickey some tattooed older girl gave you at a party."

* * *

Katniss hadn't heard from Johanna since Christmas, other than a brief Happy New Years text with a photo of Johanna very drunk with a blower in her mouth and those huge number sunglasses with the new year on them. It was now January 3rd, only a few more days until they'd both be going back to school to begin the next semester.

She laid stomach-down on her bed, scrolling through her laptop disinterestedly. Her phone rang loudly, almost startling her off of her bed. "Holy shit!" Quickly she grabbed the phone and swiped it unlocked, placing it to her ear. "Hello?"

"What up Mockingjay?" Katniss smiled at the voice and the term of address. Johanna had never called her before. They had exchanged numbers before leaving school but she had never called; she just blew up her phone with texts and hilarious SnapChats. "You gotta turn on - wait, fuck, what channel is this?" Katniss heard grumbling on the other line and then she returned. "Okay the Disney channel, that makes sense. Put on the Disney channel."

Katniss reached over for her remote, flicking on her television. She scrolled through the channels until coming upon the Disney channel, where it was clearly that _Brave _film Johanna had wanted her to see. "Is this Merida? That girl with the bow and arrow?"

"No it's Pulp Fiction. Yeah, brainless, it's Brave. And me and you are watching this together over the phone so get comfy." Katniss rolled her eyes and moved so she was sitting back against her pillows, leaving the phone on top of her chest. She smiled as Johanna chatted through the film, yelling out things like "Did you see that?" and "Wasn't that cute?" and "I bet you can't shoot like _that_!" every so often.

After the film ended they continued to talk, with Katniss snuggled on her side into her pillow, the phone resting near her head. Johanna's disembodied voice floated into her ears, warming her heart as she told cute anecdotes from her trips around the world. Katniss began falling asleep, forcing herself to stay awake to hear Johanna's voice.

"You there, Mockingjay?"

Katniss yawned. "I'm here."

She heard Johanna's low chuckle on the other line and she smiled. "You're getting sleepy, huh? I'll let you get your beauty rest." There was a short pause on the other line. "Thanks for talking with me. I uh, I don't exactly love coming back to visit and you gave me a legitimate reason to be up in my room away from everyone."

Katniss suddenly felt more sober as she listened to Johanna's voice get softer. She wanted to reach through the phone and touch her, show her the care she felt brimming inside her heart. "Anytime. I love listening to you talk."

Was that too much? Katniss couldn't tell because, as always, Johanna kind of laughed her off. "Sure you do, Mockingjay. That's why you come to my shop every day, right? For my titillating conversations."

Katniss let out a hoarse laugh, snuggling deeper into her pillow. She felt the strong pull of sleep inside her brain. "No I come there because you make good coffee and I think you're really pretty. Actually I told my mom you're beautiful."

Now she was certain she had said to much. Her sleep-induced delirium was making her frightfully honest. Johanna didn't answer for a few beats and Katniss's heart began to palpitate with worry. "You talked to your mom about me?"

"She asked why I started drinking so much coffee. I told her about you."

Katniss could feel the drunkenness of sleep overcoming her as Johanna fell into silence on the other end. "Good night, Mockingjay."

"Good night, Johanna."

* * *

Katniss wrapped her tight black jacket around her as she and Madge strolled through the cross winter air toward the coffee shop. They had resettled into their dorm over the past week, getting situated in their new classes. The following Tuesday she finally got to go back to the shop. Johanna hadn't texted her since she had fallen asleep on the phone with her and Katniss was slightly nervous.

She smiled as the familiar wave of the coffee scent filled her nostrils. It was now so intrinsically tied with Johanna she felt the warmth in her heart as she smelled it. She and her blonde friend made their way to the counter, which was uncharacteristically deserted. They approached together, much to Katniss's annoyance, and Johanna smiled.

"What can I get you ladies?" Johanna looked from one girl to the other. Katniss watched her try and keep her gaze off of her and narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"I'll have a cappuccino please," Madge ordered. "A large." Johanna wrote a few things on the side of the cup and handed it to Cressida.

Katniss fumbled over her words, her confidence that she had from breezing in the door were now dashed under Johanna's eyes. She didn't look at her with the same warm familiarity. Something was off. "Oh, um, I don't know. Just a ...um..."

"Why don't you try the new hazelnut latte we have?" Cressida interjected, giving Johanna a long stare. She moved her blue eyes to Katniss. "Okay?"

"Um, sure, yeah," Katniss replied, looking down toward the counter. Johanna's normally intense, inquisitive stare was more vacant than Katniss remembered. She and Madge rummaged for their money as Johanna rang them up.

"How was your break, Johanna?" Madge asked brightly, oblivious to the weird tension between Katniss and Johanna. More acutely, the disheartening stare Katniss was giving Johanna.

Johanna raised her eyebrow toward Madge and snorted a laugh. "It was fine blondie. Thanks for asking." Johanna handed them back their change and greeted the person behind them.

"What the hell is her problem?" Madge asked from behind Katniss, watching her as she stared longingly toward the offensive black-haired girl. "She acted like she barely knew you."

"I know," Katniss said softly. "Everything was fine over break. She kept texting me. I mean, she kissed me at that party. _She _kissed _me_. I don't ...I don't know what I did wrong."

Madge smiled sympathetically at her friend, handing her the latte and walking away from the counter. "Maybe she's just having a bad day. She is a little, you know..." Katniss shot her a glare and Madge pressed her lips together. "Nothing. Anyway, let's just enjoy our coffee and we'll see about this girl when we're done."

They sat in their seat near the back of the shop, chatting idly as Katniss kept her eyes on Johanna. She seemed to move around the same, the same sparkle in her eyes when attractive coeds walked in the shop, the same flirty grin when a girl was shy on her advances. Katniss felt her heart breaking inside her chest. Johanna _had_ forgotten about her.

Johanna took off her apron, saying something to Cressida who nodded. Johanna and the red-haired girl whose name she didn't remember with the bright green eyes and foxlike features left through the back of the store. Katniss saw Johanna grab her leather jacket, casting a glance her way before disappearing into the darkness of the back room.

Katniss stood up abruptly in the middle of Madge's talking and, without her own jacket, followed Johanna out the back exit of the coffee shop. As she found Johanna she was chuckling and conversing with her coworker, blowing smoke high up into the air. The sound of the door closing behind her distracted the girls from their conversation. The redhead looked at Katniss, then Johanna, with a giggle she stepped away from her. They looked cozy, Katniss thought to herself.

"Katniss Everdeen." Katniss hated the way her body shuddered as Johanna said her name. Katniss's eyes dropped to the white stick in Johanna's mouth that Johanna was keeping between her lips in a smirk. "Oh this?" Johanna took the stick out of her mouth and pushed the smoke out. "Not a cigarette. Pot. Not technically cheating, right?"

"I guess not."

Katniss watched as Johanna looked at the other girl and nodded her head toward the door. The girl rolled her eyes and stubbed out her blunt, giving Katniss a - _was that a glare?_ - before going back inside. Johanna approached Katniss, her boots thumping against the loose gravel of the parking lot. Katniss's breath held in her throat as Johanna's eyes regained that wild, intense focus they had. She took the blunt from her mouth and raised her eyebrow. "Want some?"

Katniss nodded, not trusting her words again. They always failed her around the other girl. Instead of handing Katniss the stick but instead she inhaled another hit and tipped Katniss's chin with her finger. She pressed their lips together, opening Katniss's mouth with her tongue against her lips and blew the smoke inside her. She held her face firm until Katniss had gotten the hit, then pulled away with a smirk.

Katniss looked up at her from beneath hooded lids, tasting the mix of cinnamon and weed on her tongue. "You know I may not have watched Orange is the New Black but I have seen Skins."

Johanna chuckled, running her fingers through Katniss's hair affectionately, curling it around her ear. "The one thing you've seen, huh? Well then you know how this scene ends." Johanna flicked the blunt into the snow, placing her hands on either side of Katniss's face and pulling her in for a kiss. Katniss nearly swooned beneath her touch, thankful for her back being pressed against the building for support. The coldness that had started to seep into her skin was suddenly pushed out by Johanna's insistent warmth.

Abruptly she felt some weight on her shoulders and she broke away, realizing Johanna had placed her jacket over her arms. "Wait what? What are you doing?" _Why aren't you still kissing me?_

Johanna rolled her eyes. "What does it look like, brainless? Giving you my jacket. You're shivering."

_That's because you were kissing me_. Katniss shook the thought from her head and looked at Johanna, now clad in only her HeavensBeans t-shirt. "You're going to get sick without your jacket on out here."

Johanna cocked an eyebrow, wrapping her arms around Katniss's waist. "I don't get sick."

Katniss furrowed her brows and got slightly closer to Johanna, looking down into her eyes. "Nobody just doesn't get sick. You're not like a superhuman."

Johanna shrugged, taking a step back from Katniss and crossing her arms over her chest. "Nah, I don't get sick. Good immunity and all that."

The pair of them stood outside, watching as the twinkling stars above them became clouded over by thick gray puffs that threatened snow. Katniss leveled her gaze at Johanna, her eyes narrowing slightly. "What are we doing, Johanna?" Johanna looked to her, and for the first time since meeting her, Katniss saw uncertainty in her eyes. "You kiss me at that party...you push away that guy. Text me all during break, kiss me _again_. Then act like I'm invisible when I see you? I don't get it."

Johanna looked at the ground, running her fingers through her soft mess of black and red hair. "Look Katniss, I um, I'm good at like a few things. Flirting, fucking, Physics, and sometimes if I'm good and drunk, karaoke. None of those things are being with girls that make me feel the way you do." Katniss smiled at Johanna but the other girl shook her head. "No, no, that's not a good thing. I can't get attached like this. I don't do this _thing _this dating thing."

"How do you not date? It's just a part of life. You meet someone you like and you want to get to know them. There's nothing scary about that." Katniss took a tentative step forward but Johanna took an identical step back.

"I'm not scared," she spat out. "I just don't do it, okay? We'll go out, have a great time, we'll have sex, I'll never call you again and I'll hurt your feelings." Her brown eyes came up to look at Katniss, who knew she looked wounded. But that didn't last long. "I don't want to hurt you." Sadness was quickly usurped by anger.

"_You_ don't want to get hurt, Johanna, that's different. Everyone who pushes people away does it for their own good. Because if you were doing it for me, you'd give me a choice." Katniss shook her head sadly, unimpressed with Johanna's theatrics. "When were you gonna let me down, huh? After I slept with you? Is that what you wanted? Coward."

"Excuse me?"

Katniss felt emboldened by her words and stood up straighter. "You're a coward. You've been flirting with me for weeks and now you realize you have feelings for me and I have feelings for you. And you're bailing."

Johanna expelled a short laugh. "Who said I had feelings for you?" She took a step toward Katniss who stood firm in her position, her gray eyes never leaving Johanna's. "Yes, I've enjoyed flirting with you. Yes, I want to fuck you. I want to make your eyes roll back and make words come out of your mouth you didn't even know you knew." Katniss shivered at her words, closing her eyes for a brief second before opening them again. "But you don't know me. You can't possibly have feelings for me because you don't know a fucking thing about me. You have a crush."

"You're so full of shit." Katniss took Johanna's jacket off and handed it to her gruffly, shoving it in the other girl's hands. "I didn't imagine all the things I felt in that kiss. I didn't imagine the way you look at me. I really, really fucking like you. I want to get to know you. I want to know what all your tattoos mean. I want to know how you actually like your coffee. I want to know what your favorite book was as a kid. I want to know the stupid things you think at three a.m. that you're afraid to tell anyone else. I want to know your weird family drama and I want to tell you mine so we can talk about how fucked up our lives are and how grateful we are to have each other." Katniss rubbed her own arms to ward off the cold. "But if you're too scared to do that? Then maybe you're not the person I want to know these things about."

She turned around and went back inside, leaving Johanna by herself. Without a word to Madge, who was spouting enough questions for them both, she grabbed her jacket and drink and stormed toward the exit. She tossed the cup in the garbage on the way out.

* * *

Katniss didn't go back to the coffee shop for a while. Instead she buried her nose in her work, ignoring Madge's pleas to "forget about that bitch and party." She didn't want to forget about Johanna, she just wanted to forget how worthless she had made her feel. She had felt so foolish, looking so earnestly into Johanna's eyes as the girl smacked her down with words.

She wanted to believe that Johanna's attitude was a front. She couldn't possibly be that cruel. There was no way that Johanna only wanted to hook up. No matter how many times Madge told her about the other girls Johanna had seduced, Katniss felt she was different. Somehow, she was special. They shared something Katniss knew Johanna couldn't have felt for those girls. But maybe she was deluding herself. Maybe Johanna was a cad who had only been stringing her along for sex. Who knew? Maybe she was part of some _Cruel Intentions _plot to seduce her and win a bet with her coworkers or her roommate. Johanna was right about one thing: she clearly didn't know her very well.

Outside her window the snow was coming down harder than it had all winter. Madge had gone to another dorm for a party and, with the weather like it was, probably not returning that night. It was for the best. It was a Wednesday, typically Johanna's day off. Her traitorous mind began to wander to what Johanna was doing. Maybe some homework, working late on a project with some friends, maybe fucking one of her many conquests.

A pounding at her door broke her form the sad path she had begun to travel down in her mind and she rolled her eyes. If stupid Madge had forgotten her key again...

Katniss got up from her desk and opened the door, surprised to see a shivering Johanna covered in snow. She had on a knit newsboy cap that had a small pile of snow on top, her hair tucked into a large knitted scarf. Her leather jacket had splotches of snow all over it, her boots also caked with the white stuff. In her hands were two cups of coffee, with her convertible mittens now adorably on completely, her fingers inside the knit cocoon.

"Black with one Splenda."

Katniss shook her head, shocked at both Johanna's presence, her appearance, and her words. "What?"

Johanna handed Katniss a coffee which she took reluctantly. "Black with one Splenda. That's how I actually like my coffee. My favorite book as a kid was Hatchet. Still is, actually. At three a.m. sometimes I think about how big the planets are and I get scared. And I think about how I don't know what the fuck I'm doing with my life and how scary it is that one day I'll just die." Her eyes gazed into Katniss's with a small smile. "But for the last four months the only thing I've thought about at three a.m .is you."

Katniss stepped back from the doorway, allowing Johanna to come in. She took a sip of the coffee, hiding a grin at the taste. It was exactly how she liked her coffee: whole milk and three sugars. "You should take off your boots, you'll catch a cold."

"I don't get sick, remember?" Johanna smirked and placed her coffee on the desk, taking off her hat and kicking off her boots. She grabbed her drink again and moved to the middle of the room. She finally turned and faced Katniss, sucking in a deep breath. "You scare the shit out of me, Katniss. You were right, I was bailing. But over the past week, not seeing you has been... Cressida let me know in no uncertain terms that I'm an asshole and a coward, like you said. Basically she threatened to fire me if I didn't 'man up' and ask you out." Katniss chuckled but made a mental note to send Cressida a fruit basket or her first born for her advice. "I've never felt like this about anybody. It sucks."

Katniss laughed, sipping her coffee. "If this is your version of an apology, you truly suck."

Johanna glared at her. "Shut up. Look, what I'm trying to say is... Will you go on a date with me?"

Katniss stepped to Johanna, taking her coffee and placing both their drinks on Madge's desk. She draped her wrists over her shoulders and pressed their foreheads together. "Yeah, I'll go on a date with you, you big idiot." Johanna leaned up and captured her lips in a kiss, wrapping her arms tightly around Katniss's waist. Katniss pulled off Johanna's jacket and scarf, tossing them behind her as she ran her fingers along Johanna's soft sweater. Somehow they moved in tandem toward the bed, falling on it gracelessly as Johanna continued to share her air, swiping her tongue in and out of her mouth with deftness. When she felt nimble fingers snaking up her back she pulled away, panting out a "Whoa stop" and causing Johanna to pause.

The older girl looked down at her actions and removed her hand, grinning. "Sorry. Old habits die hard." Katniss slapped her bicep and Johanna moved next to her, snuggling into Katniss's side. Katniss enjoyed how comfortable Johanna seemed curled into her. She had a feeling that level of comfort was not something Johanna shared with everyone. "So how about this Saturday night? Plutarch isn't doing an open mic so I have the night off. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect," Katniss replied, pecking the tip of Johanna's nose with a kiss.

Katniss grinned as she saw a faint blush appear on Johanna's cheeks. "What do you want to do now?"

Katniss reached down on the floor and picked up the remote, flicking on her shared television. She found some show that she figured she wouldn't be interested on and placed the remote back on the floor. "Now we pretend to watch this dumb show and instead make out until we fall asleep. Sound good?"

Johanna wrapped her fingers around Katniss's hips and pulled her closer, teasing her lips with a gentle kiss. "Sounds perfect."

* * *

Author's Note: WOW thanks for the support and all the new follows and favorites! Keep the comments coming! We've got a few more chaps for this, I think.


	6. The Green Tea

Katniss stood in the middle of her dorm surrounded by clothes in rumpled piles on the ground. Madge was at her desk sitting backwards in her chair, making a motion with her finger for Katniss to twirl. Katniss spun in her skirt, rolling her eyes at her friend. She was supposed to meet Johanna in less than twenty minutes at her dorm and Madge had made her change about thirty trillion times.

"Okay. Now _that's_ perfect." The decided upon outfit was a pleated black shirt and a mauve sweater that Madge said "brought out her eyes." Katniss didn't think that was possible, seeing as how her eyes were so pale they didn't ever really pop. Johanna had said only to dress warmly so she made sure to wear her leggings in her boots and her black winter coat. "Johanna's gonna die you look so cute."

"I doubt it," Katniss replied, brushing the very bottom of her braid. Johanna had made an off-hand comment about how much she liked Katniss's plait so she could "run her fingers through and untangle it." So Katniss wore it that way almost every day since then, hoping that she'd be able to feel Johanna's fingers combing through her hair as they kissed.

Madge got up and turned Katniss around, picking a piece of sweater lint from her. She smiled at her friend affectionately. "Katniss, you're like, super hot. Johanna's cute too, if you're into that punk look, but you are really hot. So you go on this date and you make Johanna forget that she ever even _saw _other girls. The second she sees you, that's what she's gonna think. She's gonna think, 'Oh God, where did all the other women in the world go? Oh well, who cares?'"

Katniss smiled shyly and hugged her friend. "Thank you."

"And, as a bonus, I happen to be going out to study with Johanna's roommate and some people so, you know, if you guys end up going back to her dorm... You'll be alone." Madge wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Katniss couldn't help the deep red blush that spread across her cheeks. Madge buttoned Katniss's jacket and turned her around to face the door. "Okay lady, get out of here. Go have fun with your girl."

Katniss left her dorm in a hurry, not wanting to be late. She was perpetually late, especially if she had to interact with Madge first. The walk to the D7 dorms wasn't that long but it was long enough to begin freezing the end of Katniss's nose. Luckily it wasn't snowing, though she didn't know what Johanna had in mind. All she had said was to dress warmly and be up for whatever. That was no issue for Katniss; if Johanna was there, she'd do just about anything. And she probably wouldn't be cold.

The D7 dorms were much nicer than the ones in 12. The facade was brick and wood with high glass windows that faced the woods in the back. A few kids were outside playing frisbee - why? Katniss thought, it's so cold! - and Katniss pulled the door handle and realized she couldn't get in. She sighed in disappointment with herself as she turned away. You needed a swipe card to get inside the dorms and hers wouldn't work here. Katniss pulled out her phone to send Johanna a text when she caught glimpse of a girl leaving.

"Oh hey, can you hold the door?" Katniss called to the girl who was looking down at her phone. As the girl looked up Katniss recognized her as Johanna's coworker with the red hair. _Fuck, what was her name_?! Katniss had started calling her Foxface to Madge in a jealous rant after seeing them together outside that night. Emily? Emma? Shit.

The girl did hold the door, standing directly in the doorway as Katniss tried to get inside. "You here to see Johanna?"

_What a stupid question_, Katniss thought to herself, _you see me every day_. "Yeah."

The girl - Emerson! - laughed, dragging her eyes up and down Katniss's form. She herself was wearing a furry red coat that made her look even more foxlike than she did normally, her red hair tied neatly in two buns on top of her head. Her make-up was impeccable, complimenting her pale features perfectly. Katniss suddenly felt underdressed and unattractive. "She talks about you a lot." Katniss wasn't sure how to take that. She didn't seem to say it as a compliment, just a statement of a fact. "But Jo's like a puppy that way. Always obsessing over the newest little chew toy."

Now Katniss knew how to take it - as an insult. Her initial intuition about this girl had been right, she was clearly jealous. Was she sleeping with Johanna? Or maybe they had slept together in the past. Either way Katniss didn't want anything to do with her. "Thanks for holding the door." Katniss brushed passed the girl and entered the dorm, not looking over her shoulder. She jogged up the two flights of stairs to Johanna's floor, moving down the hallway until she found her room.

She knocked and heard some swearing behind the door and she smiled. When Johanna opened the door, Katniss was taken aback at her appearance. She was dressed in a pair of dark wash blue jeans, little black-socked feet poking out at the bottom. Her shirt was an adorable button-down blouse that was rolled up halfway from her forearms and untucked on one side. While she was wearing some mascara and eyeliner, her eyes were bloodshot and her nose was probably as red as Katniss's from being outside. The rest of her face was flush as well.

Katniss would've laughed had it not been so unfortunate. "You're sick," she stated flatly.

"No," Johanna said, opening the door and letting Katniss inside. The dorm was a little bigger than hers but there was a clear separation between the two sides. A privacy curtain was up between the beds and extended halfway across the room. Johanna's side - evident by the apron over the chair and the giant poster of Angelina Jolie from _Wanted _on the wall next to a huge poster of Marie Curie - was pretty neat, except for the trash can that was overflowing with used tissues. "I am not sick."

Katniss giggled and closed the door behind her. Johanna sniffed loudly and averted her gaze to the ground. "Johanna, you're clearly sick. You could have just told me."

"But I'm _not_ sick," Johanna whined, in a voice made muffled by the mucus in her nose. Katniss bit her lip to keep from smiling at how adorably stubborn she was. "I drank like an entire bottle of Nyquil or Theraflu or something. I'll be fine in like thirty minutes. Besides, I don't get sick. It's just a cold."

Katniss pursed her lips and moved toward Johanna, placing the back of her hand on Johanna's forehead. She was burning up. "You have a fever. Have you taken your temperature?"

Johanna squinted at her, her brown eyes looking drunk. "What? D'you think I just keep thermometers in here?"

Katniss rolled her eyes. "Right, because you don't get sick. That pile of nasty tissues in the garbage speaks otherwise." She moved Johanna's hair behind her ear and tilted her head. "How long ago did you drink all that medicine?"

Johanna looked at the clock next to her bed. "Um, like twenty minutes ago." Katniss went around to Johanna's desk and picked up the Nyquil bottle. It was nearly empty. She looked at Johanna who was managing to look slightly guilty even though her pupils were huge.

"Did you really drink this whole bottle?" Johanna nodded. "That is _fantastically_ dumb." Johanna pouted, sitting down on the edge of her bed. Katniss walked over to her with the bottle still in her hand. "First of all, that's more than enough for like several nights. Second of all, you're gonna pass out soon."

Johanna waved her hand dismissively. "No, no I'll be fine. I'll be great just um, let's just sit here for a minute and let that stuff do its work." Johanna patted her bed and Katniss sat down on the plush mattress. These were much more comfortable than the ones in Twelve. Johanna looked over at her and Katniss could see how widely dilated her pupils were. She was definitely going to pass out soon. "You look ...so fucking beautiful. I can't wait to ...to go on a date with you..."

Katniss stood up to take off her jacket, unbuttoning her winter coat. It wasn't at all to hide the crazy blush spreading across her cheeks. Johanna might be out of it but she still rendered Katniss unable to respond. She placed her jacket over Johanna's desk chair, eyeing the things on her desk. A pile of textbooks, a huge calculator that looked like a tablet, an iPad, a laptop, three empty bottles of Jack Daniels balancing on top of one another at an angle that looked absolutely unearthly.

Above her desk was a wide print of a photograph of a tree full of mockingjays. It was so vivid, with the light streaming through the trees, the mockingjays perched on the branches, Katniss could almost hear their birdsong. She turned to ask Johanna if the photo was hers, only to find the girl completely passed out on her bed, her mouth open for breathing since her nose was clearly stuffed. "Don't get sick my ass."

"I'm not asleep, Everdeen," Johanna mumbled into her pillow. "It's just really hot in here but also really cold? So I'm just gonna... the medicine is working. I'll be ...I'll be up in no time," she slurred, waving her hand in the vague direction of Katniss. "Just hang on."

Katniss rolled her eyes and went to the bed, picking up the crumpled up comforter that was shoved in a corner and placing it over Johanna. The girl snuggled into the fabric and Katniss sat near her chest on the edge of the bed, smoothing back her hair. Little peaks were sticking to her forehead from the slight sheen of sweat. "You are sick. You clearly have a fever. We'll put the date on hold, okay?"

Johanna groaned into her pillow and blinked a few times, adjusting her eyes on Katniss. She looked so completely adorable in this vulnerable, sick state. Katniss wanted to scoop her in her arms. "I'm sorry. I was gonna take you to this... this restaurant? It's not far. Walking distance. You can..." She yawned and closed her eyes. "You can eat on the dock that overlooks the lake. It's glass enclosed in the winter but it's so clear. You can... you can see all the stars. And the food.. the food is so good. Then I was gonna.. I was gonna..." Johanna reached blindly for her tissues and Katniss handed the box to her as Johanna sneezed - _even her sneezes are cute _- into the tissue and wiped her nose. She tissue fell out of her hand into the overflowing garbage. "I was gonna walk with you along the pier. It's really..s'really nice at night. Calm. And I was gonna kiss you. I was gonna kiss you a lot. You're a really good kisser."

Katniss smiled widely and stroked Johanna's hair. "Am I? Of all the many girls you've kissed?"

Johanna nodded. "Firssly, I haven't kissed that many girls. Like...twenty..or so. Tops. And secondly, yeah. You're the best. I mean I asked you on a date, didn't I? You think I jus' date all the girls I've kissed?" Johanna struggled to keep her eyes open but it was clearly a fruitless endeavor. "I don't date any of them. Jus' you. I'll make the exception jus' for you, Ka'niss Eberdeeb."

And she was out. Katniss watched her eyes droop and close, her breathing steady and just the slightest vibration of a snore coming from her mouth. She chuckled and got up from the bed, grabbing her jacket from the chair. So much for being nervous for their first date. Johanna was so drunk on Nyquil she probably wouldn't even remember her being there. She gathered her things and slipped out the door quietly, turning off the light on her way out.

* * *

The following morning she went down to the coffee shop, knowing fully well Johanna would not be there. There was no way with how sick she was that the girl would be working. It was just Cressida and Finnick when Katniss went in, both of whom greeted her with a big hello. "Katniss! How was the date?" Cressida asked, nearly leaping over the counter as Katniss approached.

Katniss smiled and shook her head. "Johanna is sick, actually."

Cressida raised an eyebrow. "I'll be honest when she called out sick this morning I assumed she was in bed with you." Katniss felt the heat of her blush across her cheeks for what felt like the bazillionth time in that coffee shop. "Damn. Did she not even ask? Because I pretty much told her she was out of a job if she didn't."

"No, no, she did. I went over there last night but she was really sick. I'm actually here to get us both some green tea. And um, two orange-cranberry muffins, please." Cressida nodded and retrieved the pastries as Finnick began preparing the tea. Katniss waited patiently at the counter for them both as they appeared almost simultaneously in front of her. "Thank you. Both."

Cressida held Katniss's hand as she went to take the cup tray. "Listen it's not really my business but um, you like Johanna, right? Like you really like her?"

"Yeah?"

"Good. Because - and I swear I will drown you in coffee grounds if you tell her - Johanna is _obsessed_ with you." Katniss shook her head in surprise, pulling her chin in and widening her gaze. "You haven't noticed? Since that first day you came in here she has talked non stop about you. You know we ran out of drinks you hadn't tried in like November. Johanna made you one every day from scratch just so you'd keep coming in. She wouldn't ever let us make her drinks. Didn't you notice?"

Finnick leaned forward and picked up a cup. "Look at the cups she gave you. Ever notice the little 'CB' written on it?" Katniss nodded. Every so often, especially if someone else was making the drinks, Johanna would write a CB on the drink and cross it out. "It's our little code for cock block. If someone is flirting with us and we don't like it, we write a CB on the cup so the person kinda deflects the attention. If we cross it out, that means we _want _to flirt with that customer and you better not cock block us."

Cressida grinned. "And Johanna never did it for anyone as much as she did it for you. We weren't even allowed to touch your cup." Katniss reached for her wallet but Cressida waved her off. "Tell Jo we said hi. And hey, listen, I know we're joking but..." Her bright blue gaze turned serious as she leaned forward on the counter. "Jo's like a little sister to me. She is really, crazy into you. I've never seen her this into anyone before. So, you know, try not to break her heart, okay?"

Katniss eyed Cressida warily, taking the bag and the cups. "Um, sure. I'll...I'll try." Katniss turned to leave, then whipped back around. "Hey, um, that other girl that works here. The one with the red hair?" Cressida nodded. "Are she and Johanna like... did they ever... I mean..."

Cressida and Finnick broke into laughter, startling Katniss. She wasn't sure she had said anything funny but they were both tickled. Once they settled down Cressida shook her head. "They've been roommates for like two years. Em thinks she's got some sort of hold on Jo but she's never been more than a random hook-up. As far as I know that hasn't happened in a while. Probably since last summer. Trust me, she's only got eyes for you."

* * *

Katniss happily knocked on Johanna's door, armed with the knowledge that not only were Johanna and her roommate definitely _not _a thing, but that Johanna was secretly crazy about her. How had she missed all the signs? Probably because she had no idea how to interpret signs and Johanna was a flirt with everyone.

Johanna opened it, looking remarkably better than the night before. Katniss blinked rapidly in surprise. "Wow. You look...much better." She was in a pair of plaid pajamas pants and a long-sleeved henley that was unbuttoned to a degree that Katniss could see the sides of both of her breasts. A bit of her stomach was peeking out, a tiny splash of black ink on her skin above the hem of her pants. She was still clearly disheveled from sleep but looked overall leaps and bounds better than the night before.

Johanna smiled her megawatt grin and stepped backward, eyeing the drinks in Katniss's hands. "I told you I don't get sick."

Katniss handed her the cup and walked inside, setting the bag and her own cup on Johanna's desk. She shrugged off her coat and draped it over the chair along with her messenger bag. She looked over at Johanna who was still sniffling, but did look much better. Her fever had clearly broken, her voice was clearer, her eyes not puffy or reddened. "Yeah, tell that to last night's Johanna who could barely keep her eyes open. Or correctly pronounce a 'd.'"

Johanna sipped the tea and grimaced, nearly spitting it out. "I thought this was coffee! This is like toilet water!"

"It's _tea_, Jo," Katniss corrected. "You remember tea? Hot water mixed with herbs to create an elixir to help those who are ill? Or, you know, what more than half the world drinks every day?"

"Well they're stupid! Coffee is key." Johanna took another sip, keeping her glare on Katniss as she did so.

Katniss sighed and smiled, handing Johanna the paper bag with the muffins. "I also got you muffins. Drink the tea, eat the muffin, and explain to me how you got over being sick in less than twelve hours."

Johanna took the muffin out and handed the bag back to Katniss, smiling at the treat. She bit into it, dropping crumbs on her floor and eyeing them with a shrug of her shoulders. She took another sip of her tea and grimaced at the taste, prompting Katniss to roll her eyes. "Well I told you I don't get sick. I have ...temporary health-related setbacks but I don't get sick. I just have a good immunity."

"Or you just ignore obvious symptoms of obvious illness until you get really sick."

Johanna shrugged. "Six of one, half dozen of the other. Either way, I'm all better! And I think I owe you a date." Katniss smiled and took a bite of the muffin from the bag, careful to get the crumbs back into the brown paper. Johanna walked toward Katniss, biting her lip as she approached the other girl. She traced her fingers along Katniss's sweater and leaned in for a kiss. Katniss stepped to the side and looked at her indignantly. "What?"

"You're still sick, Johanna!"

Johanna stomped her foot. "I am not!" As if on cue she coughed hard into her forearm, pressing her lips tightly together. Katniss crossed her arms and tilted her head as Johanna poorly suppressed two more coughs before exploding with a few hard ones into her sleeve. "This -" _Cough. _"- Proves nothing!"

"Get into bed, Mason."

"Now we're talking." Johanna went to grab Katniss's hips and she ducked her advances, cocking her head to the side and pointing to the bed. Johanna pouted and got into bed, fluffing her pillow and placing it against the wall. She sat up and pulled her blanket over her, huffing as she thumped her arms against the material. "This is no fun."

Katniss rummaged in her backpack, removing a little bottle of pills and a small blue jar. "Yeah, well, next time you try to blow me off, don't stand outside without a jacket." Katniss sat next to Johanna, handing her two of the pills and her tea. "I got you some cold and flu medicine. Pretty tame stuff but it always helps me." Johanna dutifully took the pills, an indignant pout still on her features. "And this," she said, unscrewing the neon green top, "is going to help you breathe better."

Katniss scooped some of the gel on to her fingers and placed her fingertips on Johanna's chest. Johanna winked at her and Katniss blushed but continued her actions anyway. She rubbed the gel in a circular fashion along Johanna's clavicle, smiling as Johanna tipped her head back and relaxed into the touch. Katniss felt Johanna's heart speed up beneath her touch and she smiled at the girl as she rubbed her chest.

"This smells like mouthwash." Katniss laughed as Johanna smiled at her. "You don't have to do this, you know." Katniss raised an eyebrow. "Take care of me? You don't have to."

"You're right, I don't." Katniss withdrew her hand and wiped the small excess on her jeans. She screwed the cap back on and put the jar next to Johanna's bed. She smiled at the disappointment in Johanna's eyes until she took her hand. "But I want to."

Johanna's smile slowly disappeared from her face as she stared into Katniss's eyes. "I don't want to take you on a date."

Katniss frowned. "What?"

"I don't want to take you on a date. Cress insisted but I just... I don't want to." Katniss felt her face fall and Johanna quickly grabbed her hands and smiled. "I want to skip it. I don't want to take you out and wait for you to call me. I don't want to think every day that you'll run into someone else and they'll be prettier or smarter or cooler than me and there'll be nothing I can do because we're 'just dating.'" Johanna sucked in a deep breath. "I want to be your girlfriend. I wanna know what _your_ favorite childhood book was. But I also wanna know what you look like when you wake up in the morning. I wanna see your embarrassing childhood photos from your house. I wanna kiss you whenever the hell I want. I want to make you come a million times in a million ways and learn the difference between all your moans." Katniss blushed even further. "I don't want to worry about someone trying to chat you up because I just... I want you to be mine." Johanna coughed into her elbow and rolled her eyes at her own sickness. Katniss smiled. "And I wanna be yours. Is that cool? Can we just... can we just skip this whole awkward song and dance?"

Katniss bit her lip before responding. She had no anticipated this. It felt like only yesterday that Johanna's "you scare me" speech had slapped her in the face. Now here she was, sniffling and smiling, wanting to be her girlfriend. "I really wanna kiss you."

Johanna raised her eyebrow and attempted to make a come-hither gesture but it was interrupted by another cough. Johanna frowned sourly and pouted her bottom lip. "You're not going to kiss me though, are you?"

"Not on the mouth." Johanna wiggled her eyebrows and Katniss pinched her side. "Pervert." She leaned forward and kissed Johanna's forehead, then her nose. She moved to her cheek, her ear, her neck, before pulling away. "That's what you really want?"

"_You're_ what I really want."

"Cheesy."

"Just fucking answer me, Everdeen. I don't have all day, you know."

Katniss raised both her eyebrows to her hairline. "Oh really? Going somewhere in your pajamas?" Johanna shot her a deadly glare and Katniss smoothed her hair with her fingers. "I think that...I agree. I wanna be yours, too."

Katniss watched as Johanna tried to hide an excited smile by averting her gaze to the other side of the room. They sat there in silence, Katniss rubbing her thumb against Johanna's hand slowly. "Wanna watch Game of Thrones with me?"

"What's Game of Thrones?"

Johanna's eyes shot wide open. "Are you fucking kidding?"

Katniss nodded and laughed at Johanna's expense. She kicked off her boots and crawled into the bed with her, grabbing the remote from Johanna. "Of course I'm kidding. But I wanna watch the ones with Margaery. She's my favorite."

Johanna scoffed from in front of her, turning over so they were spooning and facing the television. "Not even Daenerys? With her dragons and shit?"

Katniss shook her head as Johanna turned on her Xbox so they could queue up the show. "Nope. I like the episodes where Margaery is nice to the little Stark girl." Katniss paused. "Do you think they're kinda gay together?"

"Katniss I think everyone is kinda gay together."

"Good point."

* * *

Author's Note: I gotta feeling (wooo hoooo) that the next chapter's gonna be the last. (Please sing that to the tune of "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas.) Maybe. Maybe not. I dunno. But probably. I love you guys and look at all the follows and comments. Y'all are the best.


	7. The Chocolate Raspberry Orange Thing

"Where did you get this one?" Katniss traced the ink of a tattoo along Johanna's spine with the pad of her finger. It was an eight-pointed star with a lot of intricate lettering and swirly symbols around a large circle. Katniss didn't recognize the type but it looked like some kind of Asian language.

Johanna groaned sleepily, her back muscles flexing as she turned her head to look over at Katniss. The brunette smiled down at her girlfriend, kissing her temple through the pile of messy black hair. "Baby girl you know I love you, but it is _way_ too early for questions."

Katniss pouted and laid down her head next to Johanna's, watching her blink the sleep from her eyes. She had been watching Johanna laze in and out of sleep for almost an hour. Last night she had promised to go apple picking, but Johanna tended to make a lot of promises after sex. They had stumbled in from the Halloween party still clad in their costumes - Katniss had gone as Hermione and Johanna had gone as Lara Croft - and they had barely gotten into Johanna's dorm before Katniss's back was against the door and her Gryffindor sweater nearly torn off her body.

_"Is this some kind of latent Hermione kink you have?" Katniss asked as Johanna lavished kisses on her neck. Her fingers were quickly unbuttoning the blouse and she was tugging hard at the red-and-yellow tie around Katniss's neck._

_"Yes," Johanna hissed into Katniss's ear as she finally pulled the tie apart and moved her head away from Katniss's. Her eyes roamed over Katniss's face, her curly brunette locks tightly wound to mimic the Harry Potter heroine, down to her chest which was now exposed from Johanna's insistent fingers. Johanna had a singular way of making her feel beautiful with her stare, and made her feel desirable with just her raised eyebrow and the licking of her lips. Johanna swung the tie over Katniss's head and pulled her in for another kiss. "You're so hot and nerdy right now."_

Sometime after they had exhausted each other she had murmured to Johanna that she'd like to go apple-picking in the morning; Johanna of course agreed, smiling deliriously from the rush of endorphins after her orgasm. Fall had settled on Panem once more, the new semester of Johanna's senior year and her sophomore. Johanna's sick confession months ago had turned into a relationship rather quickly. They did end up going on a few dates but there was no nervousness. There was hand-holding and kissing and a very close brush with public indecency when Johanna had snaked her hand beneath Katniss's skirt on an escalator in the nearby shopping center. Johanna drove the four hours to Katniss's house every weekend over the summer, and had even brought her home once so she could meet the mockingjays.

Johanna also introduced her to her parents and her three rough-and-tumble brothers and she saw why Johanna considered herself the "disappointment." Her parents were highly successful surgeons who just happened to also be world class musicians and, evidently, mockingjay enthusiasts. Her brothers, while identical to Johanna with their messy black hair and tough exteriors, were also brilliant and well-spoken. Katniss finally found the word for Johanna's jaw that she had been searching for every time she placed a kiss on it - proud. Her father had the same proud jaw, the face that demanded respect.

Johanna _was_ the outcast - the tattooed, bisexual, nomadic physics student and coffee barista with the altruistic dream of using her degree to better the world instead of going into medicine or law or something equally as WASP-y. Those days only made her want to hold Johanna tighter, appreciate her more. She wanted to protect Johanna from the harsh stares of her parens and guard her from their expectations. She wanted to tell her every day how wonderful and smart and sexy she was. So she did.

"Johanna," Katniss whined, but her girlfriend didn't move. Katniss raised an eyebrow in challenge and set to work. She pulled the sheets off Johanna, exposing her nakedness to the slightly chilly dorm air. Johanna groaned but didn't even bother to turn over or even grab the blankets. Katniss allowed herself a moment to stare down at Johanna's pale skin. The small atom tattoos on the back of her thighs she knew now were above the birth and death dates of Marie Curie, themselves the representations for Radium and Polonium. _Nerd_, she thought affectionately.

On her back was the eight-pointed star Katniss had asked about, as well as two lines of lyrics on her shoulder blade. Each of Johanna's tattoos represented a place she had gone in her life and had wanted to commemorate - the lyrics: _I'm drinkin' TNT, I'm smokin' dynamite_ were from a trip to New Oreleans, Louisiana where she had stayed with a family of black jazz musicians for six weeks, indulging herself in the blues and jazz culture. Katniss straddled her thighs and leaned over her back, taking small parts of Johanna's skin between her teeth. Johanna groaned into the pillow, trying to turn over but Katniss placed her hands on either of Johanna's shoulder blades and held her down.

"Ugh, fine. It's a sak yant." Katniss ceased biting Johanna's back in favor of placing small, closed-mouth kisses along her skin. "I got it in Cambodia from a monk. It's the Paed Tidt. It's supposed to protect you in all eight directions of the universe. Like wherever you travel, you are protected. North, South, East, West, and the variations thereof."

"It's beautiful," Katniss murmured against the skin of her back, giving the black ink a kiss and smiling. She finally allowed Johanna to turn over, and the girl sat up, propping herself up on her elbows. Though she had seen Johanna naked (or topless) plenty of times by now, it still sent a thrill into her stomach. Johanna's promise of making her "come a million times a million ways" had not been just talk.

But of course, their first time had been terribly romantic. Not in any sort of fairy tale sense. It was passionate and rough, Katniss recalled knocking over Johanna's lamp next to her bed. But just as Johanna was about to slide inside her, she paused. Their eyes met and Johanna placed an impossibly soft kiss on her lips. Her eyes were magnanimous and loving in their deep brown gaze. _"Are you okay? I'll stop if you want me to." _Katniss had never felt so cared for and adored than she did in that split second it took her to reach down and push Johanna inside her.

"Not as beautiful as you, baby girl." Johanna took Katniss by the sides of her shirt and brought her down on top of her, kissing her deeply and trying to move her shirt off. Katniss giggled into the kiss and sat back up, swatting Johanna's hands away. "Aw, come on. Em is gone for the entire weekend. I'd like to take advantage of her absence by taking advantage of _you_."

Katniss hadn't ever considered herself a sexual person but Johanna had awakened a part of her she didn't know existed. She could just shoot her a look from across a room and her entire body would be warm, all her thoughts cloudy and muddled until she could get her hands over Johanna's skin. So to look this girl in the eye and refuse her was taking all the willpower she had. "I wanted to go pick apples with you."

"What are we going to do with a big bag of apples?"

"Eat them?"

Johanna cocked her head to the side. "Really?" she asked flatly. "That's what we'll live on: coffee and apples." Johanna leered at her. "Though I could live on coffee and something else."

Katniss kissed her on the lips and rolled off of Johanna's body and placed her feet on the floor. She opened Johanna's closet and began rummaging for her clothes. "You promised me last night. And considering what I did for you," Katniss cast a look over her shoulder and Johanna at least had the dignity to blush, "you kinda owe me one."

"You win." Johanna got out of bed, picking through her dresser for her undergarments. "You always do," Katniss heard her mumble from behind. She pulled on some underwear and fastened her bra. Katniss held out a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a long-sleeved shirt toward her. Johanna grabbed the small basket behind her filled with toiletries and raised an eyebrow. "I'm just gonna go brush my teeth really quick, okay?"

Katniss shook her head. "In your bra and underwear? In public?"

Johanna shrugged. "I've done it naked before. These people don't care."

"But that's... you're... it's not for everyone to see," Katniss replied with a small pout. Johanna's body was not for all these horny college guys' eyes to be staring at. And the girls. She was sure Johanna had slept with some of these girls, and probably some of the guys, and she didn't want them glimpsing what she now felt was hers.

Johanna tilted her head and stepped toward Katniss, heaving the clothes on to the floor. "Why is that?" she asked playfully, running her fingers along Katniss's jaw. In spite of their relationship not being new any longer, Johanna still managed to make her blush and stammer like a fool.

"Because..." she trailed off, looking down at the ground. Johanna tipped her head up and looked at her expectantly. Where there used to be just challenge and playfulness, now there was also love and indulgence. "Because you're mine and I don't want everyone looking at you."

Johanna smiled and leaned forward, cupping Katniss's face and giving her a small kiss. "Okay baby." Johanna went back to the bed and found Katniss's hoodie from the night before and pulled it on, giving Katniss a wink as she took her basket and left the dorm. Katniss wondered if the image of Johanna in her clothes would ever cease to make her heart skip a beat.

* * *

There was a lot to love about Johanna. She could prattle on about physics or science or the oppressive patriarchy of the Nobel Prize system for hours. She could sing every lyric of every song of nearly any Disney musical. She could call mockingjays, climb trees, kiss, fuck, make love, and do almost anything with a natural ease and a smirk that would make even the most pious monk break his creed. But what Katniss loved most was the way Johanna's arm wrapped around her shoulder when they were out.

It didn't matter where they were or what they were doing. Johanna's arm, in spite of her being a tad shorter, would snake over her shoulder and hang there, loosening and tightening depending on the moment. She would be wrapped in the smell of Johanna's leather jacket, the vanilla-scented shampoo she used and the pine-scented body wash, protected by her grip. It was Johanna's way of saying she was hers, that they were one. It made Katniss feel important and loved and most wonderful of all - it never seemed like Johanna understood how profound the effect it had on her was. She wasn't doing it to be visibly aggressive or to show her off; she was doing it just for the touch. And possibly for the small smidgen of possessiveness.

She was doing it now as they traversed the neat rows of apple trees in the orchard not far outside of Panem. Finnick and Annie had come along but they were off somewhere eating apple cider donuts and gazing adoringly into each other's eyes. Not that Katniss hated them for it; she often did it to Johanna. The warmth of Johanna's arm was gone and as her gray eyes finally found her, Johanna was high up in one of the trees. Of course it was one of the trees with the giant "NO CLIMBING" sign affixed to the trunk. A few stray apples thumped on to the grass as Johanna expertly snaked through the branches.

"Katniss, catch!" A perfectly shiny red apple came hurling out of the tree and Katniss luckily caught it, otherwise she would've taken an apple to the dome. Johanna came leaping out of the tree and landed in front of a very frightened family. She mumbled a brief apology and then reattached herself to Katniss's side. "Do we have enough apples now?" Johanna whined. In spite of her whining, Johanna had seemed to enjoy climbing the trees and retrieving the "perfect apple" from the branches at random. "Can I take you home and ravish you yet?"

Katniss rolled her eyes at Johanna's impatience and led them back toward the barn where they could purchase autumnal decorations and homemade baked goods. Johanna picked up a liter of apple cider and Katniss a small bag of donuts and they headed toward the cash register. "Soon, I promise." Katniss leaned over and kissed her sweetly on the lips and looked her in the eyes. She'd never get tired of the way Johanna's eyelids fluttered after they kissed.

Their eye contact only broke as a woman in front of them cleared her throat loudly. Katniss knew immediately that Johanna sensed the same thing she did as she felt Johanna's muscles tense. "Something stuck in your throat?" Johanna asked, raising her eyebrow.

The woman turned completely around and gave them a glare. "This is a family establishment. There are children here."

"Sweet observation Galileo," Johanna retorted, looking around at the few children skipping on the hay-strewn ground. She leaned in conspiratorially. "If you haven't noticed, none of them seemed bothered by anything. Only you. So maybe let's not project our old lady homophobia on to the youngins? Unless of course, you're the public display of affection police? If so, I mean, I'm so sorry. I didn't see your badge or anything."

The woman harumphed and turned around, but Katniss was sure her silverly curls were going to light on fire with how hard Johanna was still staring into the back of her head. She was impressed with how cool and collected Johanna had been; she was certain Johanna would've lashed out, but this even response was impressive. It was also disheartening because it seemed almost rehearsed, as if this was not the first time this had happened to her.

After they paid for their things and began back toward the car, Johanna detached herself from Katniss and began peering around the parking lot. "What are you looking for?"

"That dumb fucking bitch's car. I'm gonna slash her fucking tires." _There _was the anger Katniss had thought was missing from before. It was just simmering beneath the surface. "Or I'm gonna break into her car and fuck you in it. Steam up her fucking old lady windows."

Katniss moved in front of Johanna and placed a hand on her chest, rubbing her sternum in soft circles. "It's okay, Jo. She was just some ignorant elderly woman."

"Hopefully she'll die before the next election," Johanna grumbled, finally looking up at Katniss instead of around the grass parking lot. "You know what really insulted me? That she insinuated that we should be _ashamed_ of ourselves. Like I should be _ashamed_ that the most beautiful woman I've ever seen is my girlfriend. _Fuck_ _that_."

Katniss blushed and moved her hand up Johanna's chest to her neck, pulling her down for a kiss. A kiss meant to placate and also to show appreciation for the way Johanna had, in her small way, stood up for her. For them both. She pulled away, her eyes searching her girlfriend's, whose own eyes had calmed down some. "How did you manage to turn an unfortunate event into a way to flirt with me?"

Johanna grinned, bending her arm and tossing the bag of apples over her shoulder. "It's very easy to flirt with you. You're the most gorgeous thing in the world. I'll turn the fucking Titanic sinking into a way to tell you how amazing you are."

Katniss's eyes flashed with desire and she let out a short, harsh breath. "Okay we need to find Finnick and Annie because I need to take you home. _Now_."

* * *

Johanna emerged from the coffee shop with the two green cups in her hands, smiling widely at Katniss. She handed one of the cups to her and looped their arms together. While she did enjoy Johanna's arm wrapped around her, feeling Johanna sort of curl herself into her side was a close second. "What's this one?" Katniss asked before taking a sip.

"Guess. You're the connoisseur now right?" Johanna ribbed gently, squeezing Katniss's arm with her fingertips.

Katniss shot her a look and took a sip of the hot beverage. A flood of flavors filled her mouth and spilled over her tongue. It was fruity and sweet with slightly citrusy after taste. "Chocolate with ...raspberry and orange?"

Johanna gave her an impressed smile. "Cressida is calling it 'Tooth Decay' but I don't think Plutarch will let that stand."

Katniss shuddered as the warm drink filled her belly. "She's not wrong." It was delicious but sickly sweet.

They walked around the small downtown area of Panem kicking the crunching leaves beneath their feet. Katniss looked over at Johanna, taking a moment to admire her beauty whilst Johanna wasn't paying attention. Her hair was a little shorter than last year, only barely able to be put up in a ponytail. Her sweatshirt's hood folded over the top of her leather jacket, the worn material hugging tightly to her slim frame.

Autumn was still Katniss's favorite season but now it sadly reminded her that in a few months they'd separate for Christmas, and then Johanna would be graduating in four months. Johanna had made vague mentions of doing her graduate work abroad but it always sounded noncommittal. It didn't seem fair; they had only just begun dating. Johanna led them both to a park bench and settled down on it, leaning her head on Katniss's shoulder. They looked out at the park's massive lake, watching the joggers make their rounds passed them.

"So I'm going on two trips," Johanna began with a small hint of nervousness in her voice. "Over Thanksgiving I'm going to New Zealand. For Christmas I'm going to Berlin for three weeks."

Katniss felt her chest seize. She had been trying to mentally prepare herself for Johanna to be gone; admittedly only seeing her on the weekends during the summer had been hellish. She had spent the entire time waiting for her between visits. "Oh. That sounds cool." Katniss kept her voice as even and uninterested as possible. Johanna looked over at her slyly and grinned. "What?"

"You can say what you're thinking. It's written pretty clearly on your face," Johanna informed, amused.

_No reason not to be honest._ "I'm going to miss you."

Johanna brushed hair from Katniss's neck and nuzzled in between her neck and her scarf, pecking gentle kisses against her skin. "Come with me to Berlin," she whispered into her ear.

Katniss blinked a few times and turned her head, causing Johanna to pout without access to her neck. "What?"

Johanna there and pulled her leg up on to the bench between them. "New Zealand is for school. And for fun, but I won't be there long. But Berlin is so I can take a tour of universities there and do some sightseeing. I've never taken anyone on a trip with me before but..." Johanna looked down at her shoe. "I want you to come. I'm going to miss you too fucking much." Katniss didn't give Johanna an immediate response and the girl bit her lip. "You don't have to. It'll be Christmas and I'm sure your family would want you home and I wou-"

Katniss leaned forward and captured Johanna's moving lips with her own. She placed a leather gloved hand on the side of Johanna's face as she swiped her tongue very briefly along Johanna's lower lip. Part of her almost missed the slightly ashy taste Johanna used to have but she was very glad she quit smoking. All it had cost her was one night of singing at the coffee shop, which had gone well because Johanna had gotten so turned on she had excused herself and taken Katniss on the break room's table in the back.

"I would love to come. I'd love to spend time with you anywhere." Nothing could have been truer. Johanna made everything a little bit better with her presence. And going to a foreign country with her sounded like a dream.

"I'm glad you think so, gorgeous." Johanna put her leg back down on the ground and settled in next to Katniss again, holding her arm tightly. Katniss didn't want to worry about if Johanna liked the universities there; that seemed like a problem for another day. Today she was going to enjoy the brisk wind, the smell of pine and the feeling of her girlfriend wrapped in her embrace.

"Do you think they have coffee shops in Berlin?"

Johanna looked over at her and smiled affectionately. "Yeah, I think they do."

Katniss grinned and placed her temple on Johanna's head, scooting closer to her. "I think we'll have to compare."

"Fine, but don't you fall in love with another charming barista okay?"

Katniss nudged her in the side as she placed a small kiss on the top of Johanna's head. "I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

Author's Note: FIN! Thank you guys so fucking much for how much support you gave this story. I didn't even intend it to be this long. Anyway, thanks again! I'll be popping up to do a few one-shots based on some AU ideas I've seen. As well as obvs continuing Burn It Down and You and I. ...And a Game of Thrones Sansaery fic.


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